


Welcome to Paris, Fur-ance

by Graglithan_The_Greater



Category: BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ACTUAL furries, Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste is an otaku, Adrien is not innocent, Akumatized Juleka Couffaine, Akumatized Max Kanté, Akumatized Ms. Mendeleiev, Akumatized Rose Lavillant, Alya Césaire is not a Hench Wench, Bad Parent Audrey Bourgeois, Both of them, But IN FRENCH, But it's a cover, Chapter 11 forced me to up the rating, Chloé Bourgeois Needs a Hug, Cleverly hidden dirty jokes, Closet Furries, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Gen, Go watch the show, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Gun Violence, Interdimensional Kidnapping, Interdimentional Theft, It is highly advised to NEVER akumatize killers, Language Barrier, Let Juleka swear, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Michiru Needs a Hug, Michiru being Michiru, Minor Character Death, Minor Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Ogami Shirou is pretty much Dad, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon BNA, Post-Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Seriously this has spoilers, Sinnamon boi, Tiger Miraculous, Tiger!Juleka, Why those two so cute?, bad guys have potty mouths, is there even a law for that?, it don't end well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 72,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25615810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graglithan_The_Greater/pseuds/Graglithan_The_Greater
Summary: With Anima City no longer in danger from certain individuals, Kagemori Michiru, Oogami Shirou, and Hiwatashi Nazuna wanted to live as healthy a life as they could. This plan, however, is ruined when Shirou has to investigate a break-in at the Medical Facility (again). Naturally, Michiru wanted to tag along, taking Nazuna to show off what she’d been up to for the past few months. Upon confronting the criminal, Shirou's attempt to capture him only sends them all flying into a portal, and they find themselves separated in what looks to be Paris, France. The only problem is, none of them smell any Beastmen other than themselves, and the last time he checked, there weren’t superheroes in France, or anywhere for that matter. And why is everyone screaming at the sight of Michiru?Meanwhile, Marinette is stressed about yet another of Lila’s lies, further stoking her class’ well-meaning stupidity. On top of that pile of stress, there was a guy who she was pretty sure was Akumatized and was teleporting whenever she and Chat got close. So why wouldn’t a Tanuki girl show up out of no-wait what?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Kagemori Michiru & Ogami Shirou & Hiwatashi Nazuna, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Kagemori Michiru
Comments: 128
Kudos: 235





	1. Phone Calls, Spandex, and School Yards

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I'm going to be completely frank with all of you; I have never in my life written for EITHER fandom. HOWEVER, BNA has stolen my heart, and Miraculous has taken over my bookshelf, so I decided why not? It doesn't help my brain went into overdrive for no reason and gave me an entire plot to work with, and even an excellent place to end it. Will I use that original ending? 
> 
> Who knows, cause I sure don't.

The sounds of a basketball landing in the basket was continuous on the roof of the Beastman Co-op. In the makeshift court, Michiru was busy practicing while Shirou and Nazuna sat off to the side and watched. With every score she’d make, Nazuna would pass her a ball so she could keep going, and Shirou was collecting the ones that bounced off the roof, enjoying a moment out of the office. 

Michiru was catching the ball as it was passed back to her like second nature now, taking another shot and scoring with ease. The smile on her face felt like it could never be wiped off, and when she caught the ball again, she sighed and wiped the sweat from her head. “It feels so good to be back in shape!”

Nazuna giggled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember when you could dribble circles around the entire enemy team.” The two shared a high-five as Shirou closed his eyes and enjoyed the sun. 

Michiru took that moment to lean in close to her friend and whisper. “Hey, Nazuna, can I ask you something?”

“Hm?” Nazuna tilted her head a bit. “What?”

Michiru’s face split into a smirk as she jabbed a thumb over at the wolf. “Do you think Shirou would let us join him on one of his outings?”

Nazuna rolled her eyes a bit and shook her head. “Knowing that grumpy wolf, he’d shoot you down in a heartbeat.”

Shirou, not even opening his eyes, only smiled. “She’s right.”

Michiru jumped a bit and glowered at him. “Oh, come on! Using your wolf ears to eavesdrop is cheating!”

“It’s hardly eavesdropping when you’re talking right in front of me.” Shirou cracked an eye with an amused smirk. “And besides, I thought you said you wanted to be away from the excitement for a while?”

“W-Well yeah, it’s just...” Michiru blushed and rubbed the back of her head, only for the conversation to cut off as Shirou’s phone rings.

Shirou’s smirk vanished as he pulled out his cellphone and walked to the edge of the roof. “Mayor Rose?... Is that so?... I’m on my way.” Hanging up, he turns to the two girls. “I have a job, so I need you two to behave while I’m gone.”

“I behave!” Michiru shouts indignantly, which Nazuna just raises an eyebrow in response.

“Right.” Shirou deadpans as he rushes off, leaving the two alone on the roof as he bounds away in wolf form.

Once he’s gone, Michiru pouts and heads back into the Co-op, Nazuna following behind her. “And he runs off before I can finish.”

Nazuna puts a hand on Michiru’s shoulder and smiles. “You can tell him later. Come on; Melissa should have lunch ready soon.”

“Yeah...” Michiru sighs and tosses the basketball onto her bed before heading downstairs.

* * *

In Paris, France, a young girl was running as hard as she could down the sidewalk. “I’m late. I’m late. I’m late!” Black pigtails fluttered in the rush of wind that almost toppled her as she reached the school gates, and soon Marinette was rushing across the courtyard of Francis-Dupont, praying that she had at least managed to get there before her teacher. Bursting into the classroom, she found she was at least given that blessing, as Mme. Bustier was nowhere to be seen. However, there was still the other thorn in her side she had been worried over.

A very Italian thorn.

“So I wanted to try at least to ask Adrien out, but then I remembered how Marinette gets when I bring him up, and I was afraid she might try to do something.” Lila simpered as the class gathered around her. If any of them had been paying closer attention, they would have noticed the razor-sharp smirk as it flashed across her face when she saw Marinette enter the room.

Sighing, Marinette just rolled her eyes and went to her seat, finding Alya raising an eyebrow. “That girl’s not serious, is she?”

Alya finally getting her head out of her butt was one of the few good things that happened recently for Marinette. All it took was a few moments of Lila’s less than polished actions being personally heard that made her realize the Italian’s true colors. It took over two weeks to get Alya to stop apologizing.

Marinette shook her head and raised an eyebrow. “If you remember who Adrien’s dating right now, you’d know _I’m_ not the one she should be afraid of.”

A snort escaped Alya’s nose as she fought back a laugh. “You think we should unleash the Ice Queen on Lila?”

With an amused smile, Marinette shook her head again. “As amusing as seeing Lila getting beaten to a pulp would be, I don’t want to see Kagami arrested for murder.”

“Amusing? Since when did my girl get so catty?”

“Hey, I’m allowed to grow up too!”

“True. Pretty sure that’d put Sunshine in a bad mood for a while. Knowing the class’s beautiful princess is growing up into a queen might get him to pay attention to his surroundings.” Alya frowned, before leaning over. “And I’m not giving up on you two getting together. I _will_ see my ship sail.”

Groaning, Marinette shoved Alya to the side and put a hand on her face. “Alya, for the last time, I’m putting romance to the side.” She looked out the window for a moment before smiling. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the time I was dating Luka, but we both agreed that it was going as far as friendship at best.”

Pouting Alya was going to say something when Mme. Bustier walked in and cleared her throat. “Everyone, please take your seats so I can call attendance.”

* * *

Shirou stood in the Mayor’s office, hands in pockets. “You asked me to come as soon as I could?”

“Yes, I did.” Mayor Rose turned away from the window and clicked a remote, turning on the display that hung across the room. “We’ve been receiving troubling reports as of late regarding the Medical Center.” Camera footage on-screen showed a man in a skintight suit and masked, leaving one of the labs with a crate of medical supplies before moving into another room. The footage showed him going again and returning with another container. It, by all rights, shouldn’t have fit in the room with the first one. Yet, it was placed inside with ease. “This man has been spotted on surveillance multiple times; however, not one of the receptionists, security guards, or even the outside cameras could spot him entering the facility. As we can’t find how he keeps entering the Medical Center, I was hoping you could take a look and see what you could find.”

Shirou frowned as his mind raced back to the last incident with Sylvasta. “This doesn’t have anything to do with the anti-beastman drug that Sylvasta produced, does it?”

“Surprisingly, no. In fact, the opposite is true.” Mayor Rose frowned in thought. “The items stolen ranged from basic medical equipment to a few of the assault machines, yet not once did they take the anti-beastman drug or any other medicines.” She clicked her remote, showing a video of the man seeing the samples before smashing the vials and running when the alarm went off. “If anything, he was repulsed by the anti-beastman drug, which makes me believe this may be the work of the start of a Beastman Terrorist organization.”

“We want you to try and catch this individual. That way, we can ascertain their motives and plans.” Koichi Ishizaki stepped from the shadows of the room and walked over to Shirou, handing him a file to go over. “Aside from the video presented, this is all the information we have on the perpetrator. From what we can see of the pattern, he may choose to strike sometime today, if not tomorrow.”

Shirou opened the file and looked over the information, grimacing. “I see.”

“We trust you will handle this matter properly.” Mayor Rose’s stern face quickly bled into one with a friendly smile. “After all, you’ve yet to let us down. Even after you’ve spent more time babysitting than advising lately.”

A small blush, barely perceptible to even a falcon’s eye, hit Shirou’s cheeks as he scoffed and turned his head. “You’re the one who put her under my care.”

“Only because she asked, and you didn’t refuse.” Mayor Rose had a mischievous glint in her eyes before giving a quick nod to Shirou. “That will be all, Shirou.”

As Shirou exited the office, a nagging little voice whispered in the back of his head. _I hate it when she does that._

* * *

It was around lunch that the Akuma alert went off. Marinette was halfway through another bite of her croissant when she groaned and let her head fall forward. _Seriously!?_ Making sure no one had seen her, she quickly shoved the last of her food into her mouth and rushed into an empty classroom. “Tikki? Spots on!”

Slipping out of the window, Ladybug zipped her way to the rooftops and was swinging across Paris when she found Chat Noir kneeling on a roof. “Evening, My lady!”

Ladybug smiled and gave him a nod before kneeling next to him. “What are we looking at with this one Chat?”

A glance over his shoulder let her see a man in black spandex, with glowing green and red lines erratically trailing down his limbs. He was busy fiddling with what looked like a white sci-fi blaster pulled straight out of a movie. Whoever he was, he hadn’t seen them yet. “Don’t know. He hasn’t done anything yet besides pop out of a portal.”

At that, Ladybug had to bite back a groan. _A teleporting Akuma? Great, just what we needed. Hawkmoth is getting 'more creative' with his powers._ Ladybug sighed before eyeing the blaster. “I think that blaster of his is where the Akuma’s hidden.”

“Think we can end this if we take him by surprise, or should we get Pegasus?” Chat smirked, readying his baton to launch him forward.

Ladybug had to think about that one for a moment. On the one hand, Chat had a point. Bringing Pegasus into the fight would make it easier to follow the Akuma around. But, with how things had been going in class, she was hesitant to bring Max into a battle again. How could she trust him, or any of her classmates for that matter, if they believed a balled-up napkin could gouge out an eye through a pair of glasses. 

“On three.” Ladybug readied her yo-yo, kneeling and eyeing the device. “One, two-” The Akuma flicked his wrist, the one not holding the blaster, and a glowing blue portal formed. He chuckled a bit and casually walked through it. “He’s getting away!”

As they landed where the Akuma had been, the portal closed just before Chat could dive through, and he found himself eating the roof. “Dang it!”

Ladybug tumbled to a stop next to him and helped him up. “You alright?” She tried to grab his arm to help him up, and he hissed back a scream. “Chat, your arm!” 

“I’ll be fine.” Chat waved off her concern, even as he winced a bit. “Just a bruise is all.”

“Chat that isn’t just a bruise, you could be hurt.” Ladybug rolled back the arm of his suit, finding that his left wrist was starting to swell. “Hold still, Chat. I need to look this over.”

“I’m telling you, I’m fine, My Lady.” Chat tried to argue, only to yowl a bit as Ladybug gently touched over the swollen area of his wrist. “Okay... it does kinda hurt a bit.”

Ladybug shook her head with a small smile. “Silly kitty. Be glad this wasn’t your neck.” She looked over the wrist slightly longer before sighing and getting up, opening the compact of her yo-yo. “It’s just sprained, thankfully.” She pulled a roll of gauze out of her compact and started wrapping Chat’s wrist before pulling the suit back over to hide the bandages. “There, that should help until I can cast the cure.”

“You sure this won’t lead to my identity being compromised?” Chat asked with a hint of worry. “If I have to transform back before we can find this guy, it would be strange for me to show up back in my civilian life with an injury out of nowhere.”

Mentally, she knew he was right. The people of Paris could say what they wanted about Chat, but if one thing was right about her jokester of a partner, it was that he was far from stupid. Maybe not socially adept as he should be, but his wit was as sharp as his claws. 

If only he used that big brain of his for something other than puns more often, Ladybug would have less to worry over.

“Then we’ll just have to find him first.” Ladybug and Chat shared a determined nod before she pulled out her yo-yo and flipped it open, looking at the display with a frown. “There are no updates yet from the Akuma Alerts. We’ll just have to scout for him ourselves.”

“Meet back here in fifteen?” Chat cockily grinned as he put his baton over his shoulder.

Ladybug gave him a nod in return, and the two heroes zipped away to begin their search of the city. Yet as she swung overhead, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something wasn’t quite right.

* * *

Groaning in boredom, Michiru was lying down on the couch Shirou had in his room. Nazuna was playing on her phone off to the side. “Nazuna~.”

“Yeah?” Nazuna pulled her attention from the screen and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m bored. Want to go for a fly?” Michiru flopped across Nazuna’s lap and pouted. “Pleeeeeease?”

Nazuna rolled her eyes, but still had a smirk. “What’s stopping you? It’s not like you need me to lift you.”

Michiru hopped up and threw her arms towards the window. “I know, but it’s more fun when you can fly with someone.” she reached forward and grabbed Nazuna’s arm, pulling her from the couch with a startled yelp. “Come on! It’s better than sitting on your phone all day.”

“Okay! Okay, already!” Nazuna laughed as she put her phone in her pocket, and the two spread their wings and took flight. As they flew, Nazuna couldn’t help but keep peeking a glance over at Michiru. What she saw made her chest ache.

Michiru was smiling, clearly enjoying the flight, but there was a hint of pain from something. Yeah, Shirou and Michiru had told her of all the things that Michiru had gone through before she had arrived in Anima City and she had enjoyed most of the stories, it was clear that there was something else Michiru wasn’t telling her.

The two ended up on top of an antenna and took a seat, resting their wings. As they watched the sky drift overhead, Nazuna took a chance. “Hey, Michiru?”

“Hm?” Michiru looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

Nazuna’s frown deepened as she leaned over a bit. “Are you feeling alright? You were a little tense while we were getting up here.”

Michiru hesitated a bit before waving a hand with a smile. “I-It’s nothing.”

A glare soured Nazuna’s face as she huffed. “Weren’t you the one who got onto me about lying when I was still doing that whole Déesse Louvre act?” Michiru looked away at that, and her ears pressed back onto her head. Sighing, Nazuna scooted closer and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Come on, Michiru, you can tell me.”

“I-” Michiru grimaced a bit and kept her eyes trained on her knees. “I never did tell you about how most of my little adventures went, did I?” At Nazuna’s silence, Michiru sighed and grabbed one of her arms. “Ever since I decided to run away to Anima City, I-”

Before she can finish, a boom rocks through the air and makes both of them stumble. Nazuna keeps her grip, but Michiru falls forward and grabs onto the antenna with her arms stretched out. Off in the distance, they can see smoke coming from the Medical Center. “What was that!?”

They hop down from the antenna and land on the roof, watching in surprise and horror as a blue flash keeps bouncing around the Medical Center, windows shattering as pieces of equipment are thrown out. Shifting her eyes into a falcon’s, Michiru looks closer. There she sees a guy in a spandex super-suit of all things trashing a room. “Some guy is wrecking the Medical center. I think it’s a mental patient or something.” Shirou soon entered the room, lunging for the spandex man. “Oh, I guess that explains why Shirou got a c-GAH!” She had to close her eyes as a sudden blue flash burst from the man, and when she looked back, Shirou was the only one in the room. “HUH!?”

Nazuna looked at Michiru worriedly. “What? What happened?”

“The weird guy teleported!” Michiru threw her arms towards the medical center, her eyes bulging out of her skull. “How do you even do that!?”

“Teleported?” Nazuna blinked in surprise until a flash came from behind, and the two turned around in shock.

Only to get pushed back as the guy from the medical center shoved them each in the chest. 

As they landed on their backs, Michiru’s eyes widened at the sight of the man’s suit up close. She hadn’t been able to tell from before, but the design was reminiscent of a beastman suffering from Nirvasyl Syndrome. His face was covered by a mask that made him look vaguely like a goat. Or maybe he was a goat? The lack of a mouth and glowing red eyes made it hard to tell.

Either way, he terrified her.

The very familiar tranquilizer gun that he pulled from his hip did nothing to help.

“Well, I found you two quicker than I thought.” He quipped as he messed with something on his wrist, casually holding the tranquilizer gun towards them both. “I’m going to need you two to come with me. I need your _assistance_ for a project of mine.”

Snapping out of her stupor, Michiru and Nazuna pushed themselves back to their feet and glared. “Yeah, we're not going to help a creep like you.”

He chuckled and shook his head a bit, twisting his arm forward as if to shrug. “I feel you’ll soon realize you don’t have a choice.”

“Wha?-” Both girls suddenly felt like they were swimming underwater. Michiru’s eyes wandered over to Nazuna, where she could see a small dart, sticking out of her friend’s chest. Looking down, she could see one on her as well. “When... did you?”

Michiru and Nazuna fell forward and landed on the ground with a thud, the man chuckling to himself as he flicked his wrist and a teal portal formed in the center of the roof. “Soon, I’ll have all I need.” Grabbing the two, he started walking closer to the portal. “Shame that stupid company failed to-” A howl caught his attention, and he stopped a little way from his escape.

The man spun around in surprise as a glowing silver wolf joined him as Shirou caught up and landed on the roof. “My, this is unexpected.” Rather than talk, Shirou lunged forward to catch the man. In response, the man tried to lean back and fall into the portal dragging the two unconscious girls with him. The two collided mid-fall, and all four fell into the gateway with the man’s wrist catching on the side and sparking wildly. “NO!” The portal destabilized, and the four vanished from Anima City without a trace.

* * *

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Ladybug still had yet to see any sign of the Akuma. Landing on the roof, she grimaced and looked out over Paris. “Maybe I should have gotten Pegasus out again after all.” She shook her head and sighed. “No, it would be too risky. Hawkmoth already knows that it’s Max under the suit.”

Chat landed behind her and twirled his baton in his right hand before setting it on his back. “Any luck, My Lady?”

Ladybug just shrugged and shook her head. “Not today, it seems.” Crossing her arms and putting a hand to her chin, she paced on the roof. “It just doesn’t make sense. An Akuma normally ends up terrorizing the city to both fulfill their desires, and to attract us to take our Miraculous. Yet this guy hasn’t done either.”

“Maybe their desire has to deal with something outside of Paris?” Chat offered with a concerned frown.

“If it did, you’d think we’d have heard from Doorman over in America by now. He usually starts snooping in other's business when it comes to international problems like that.” Ladybug frowned as she sighed and sat down on the roof, head in her hands.

“Ladybug? Are you alright?” Chat sat next to her. He wanted to put a hand on her shoulder, but hesitated and let it fall back to his lap.

Ladybug chuckled humorlessly and rubbed a hand across her face. “Honestly, Chat? No. I’m not. I haven’t been for a while.”

Chat leaned forward a bit to get a better look at her face, and his breath hitched at the sadness he caught in her eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She laughed harder and looked over at him. “I do. God, I do, but you know the reason why I can’t.”

“Oh, right. Identities.” Chat nearly hissed out the last word. “My Lady, if whatever is bothering you in your civilian life is affecting you this much, you need to talk to someone about it.”

A blue flash off by their school drew both of their attention, and Ladybug just sighed and stood up. “Why is it always that school? Does Hawkmoth have an obsession with the place or something?” The two leaped towards the school, making it there in a matter of minutes to find the place in chaos. Students were running into classrooms and screaming, doors barricaded from the inside, and the principal was shouting for everyone to remain calm. 

And in the middle of the courtyard laying on her face, was a girl maybe a few years older than herself. She was wearing a red jacket, shorts, and-

A fursuit? 

Ladybug had a feeling this was going to be a long day.


	2. Tanukis, Miscommunications, and a Weeb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat try to talk with Michiru
> 
> It's a shame that Ladybug and Chat don't speak Japanese.
> 
> It's also a shame that Michiru doesn't know French.
> 
> (Neither do I, but that's what Google Translate is for.)

Ladybug and Chat both landed in the courtyard. They waited to see if the tanuki lying on the ground would do anything, and when she didn’t move, slowly walked closer. Chat scratched his head and frowned. “I thought the Akuma was a guy, not a Tanuki girl.”

“A what?” Ladybug asked. A part of her was wondering why she was even bothering. Considering the circumstances, but she honestly wanted anything to distract her mind.

“A tanuki. Tanukis are essentially a kind of raccoon-dog native to Japan.” Chat pointed at her tail. “A Raccoon’s tail is striped. Her’s isn’t. That’s the biggest difference between the two.”

Ladybug just stared at him for a solid ten seconds before she raised an eyebrow and felt her arms go slack. “And you know this... how?”

Chat beamed his signature smile and polished his knuckles on his chest. “And my father said Anime was a waste of time and money.”

It was then that the girl groaned and her hands moved to push herself up, only for her to wince and grab her head. “Itai...” Blinking a bit as she looked up, the tanuki paused at the sight of Ladybug and Chat. “E?” With a surprising amount of energy, she jumped back from the two, and her tail puffed up. She said something after that, all while waving a hand accusingly at the two of them. The tanuki was rattling it off, so fast Ladybug wasn’t quite sure what she even said and let her head tilt to the side in confusion.

Chat, however, had his eyes light up as a smile spread across his face. “This is just like one of my animes!”

Ladybug just turned to him with a deadpan stare as she raised an eyebrow. “Your what?”

Puffing his chest, Chat strolled forward with a cocky smirk on his face. “Just watch and learn, My lady.” Chat cleared his throat and offered his hand. “Konnichiwa! Watashi, chattonowāru. Kanojo, tentōchū. Watashitachiha hīrōsūpā.”

The tanuki girl just stared at him for a moment, her face starting to mimic Ladybug’s before she shook her head and scratched the top of it. “Nani?”

Ladybug could barely bite back a snort of laughter at Chat and how red his face got. “I don’t think you’re good enough to be a translator, Chat.”

“I try, and yet my words fail me.” Chat slumped in place before he looked over at his partner with a raised eyebrow. “Are you sure though that she’s an Akuma? She sure isn’t acting like it.” 

Hearing him, the tanuki’s head shot up, and she looked at Chat angrily, fur bristling across her entire body. “Dare o akuma to yonde iru no!? Watashi ga kemonohito dakaratoitte, watashi ni sore o yobu kenri o ataete kurenai!”

Putting a hand on her chin, Ladybug grimaced. “I think Akuma might have a specific meaning in Japanese Chat. One she took offense to.”

Chat just stood there, blinking for a moment before it dawned on him, and he winced. “Oh! Crap, I forgot that Akuma means devil or demon.”

Ladybug facepalmed and groaned. “Chat, how do you forget something like that? We’ve been fighting these kinds of things for three years!”

Chat raised his hands and stepped back from her. “It slipped my mind!”

Dragging her hand off of her face, Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo. “Whatever, we need to focus on the-” Turning back to where the tanuki girl had been, both heroes found the courtyard devoid of anybody. “Where did she-!?” Upon the roof of the school, they spotted the tanuki looking back down at them before she pulled down an eyelid and stuck her tongue out at the both of them. The tanuki then jumped down from the top of the roof and disappeared from view. 

“Hey! Get back here!” Chat shouted as he readied himself to vault away. 

Only, Ladybug grabbed his right arm before he could. “Chat, wait!” Confused, Chat turned to Ladybug and raised an eyebrow as she let go. “Remember, multiple flashes were signaling the Akuma’s return from where he’d gone. If this girl is what we found in the first one, then one of the others should have the Akuma as we remember him, and that’s the one we should focus on.”

Chat nodded a bit as he thought it over. “You make an excellent point, My Lady. But what about the other three? We can’t just leave a potential threat to Paris running around.” 

Concern grew into Ladybug’s face as she held her chin. “I’m not sure she’s actually a threat, Chat. If anything, she just looked confused and scared until you called her an Akuma.” She let her hand drop and sighed. “She might just be a victim of what he does, or he has an Amok helping him somewhere.”

Chat raised an eyebrow and frowned. “His power had to be teleporting, but an amok that turns people into furries? That’s just bizarre.”

Ladybug threw her arms up and huffed. “I know! And I was actually starting to have a small amount of respect for Mayura. At least on a technical level.” 

Amused, Chat leaned on his baton and smirked. “Are you good with chasing after her?”

Yo-yo in hand, Ladybug, gave him a determined nod. “And by the time I’m back, I might just bring some help with me.”

“Alright then, I’ll head for the Eiffel Tower. I think that’s where I saw one of the flashes.” Chat readjusted his baton towards his new target and launched out of sight.

As Chat traveled farther away, Ladybug stayed in the courtyard for a moment more, all her determination slowly starting to ebb away. “Be safe, Chat,” she whispered as she turned to the roof where the tanuki had escaped. 

It was with only the bare amount of effort needed that she took off and started to zip down the streets of Paris. 

* * *

When Michiru woke up again, her face was pressed against what felt like asphalt. It took a bit of effort, but slowly, she managed to push herself off of the ground and rubbed her head. “Ow...” Her vision was still a bit blurry, and she could feel the dart from earlier sticking her in the ribs, so she reached down and plucked it out.

It wasn’t long after her vision started to clear up again, and she shook her head. _Ugh, what even is in this thing? My head feels like soup._

Looking up, however, made her pause as standing in front of her was two kids who looked younger than herself. One was clad in spandex and the other in a leather catsuit. “Huh?” Her brain took a few seconds to process until it landed on how the guy who did this was in spandex too, and she jumped back and pointed at the two. “Who are you!? Where am I? Where’s Nazuna!”

The red and spotted girl just tilted her head, looking confused, while the guy in a catsuit was starting to remind her of Nina with how his eyes were sparkling. “C’est comme l’un de mes animes!”

The girl in the red suit just stared at her partner and raised an eyebrow. “Ton quoi?” All the while, Michiru was wondering why all of these words sounded familiar.

The cat guy puffed up his chest and started walking closer with a smirk on his face. “Regardez et apprenez, Ma Dame.”

Michiru had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling. _I wonder if this is how Nazuna feels when fans start hitting on her?_

Stopping just shy of her, the wannabe suave held out a hand. “Hello! Me Chat Noir, She Ladybug. We Hero Super.”

At the veritable word salad that just poured out of who she is guessing is ‘Chat Noir’s mouth, Michiru’s brain had to take a moment to reset. “What?” _Did... did this guy just have a stroke?_ Alas, it was not a stroke, though from how red his face was getting, he probably wishes it was. _Oh, he just sucks at speaking Japanese. That makes more sense._

The red-spotted girl, who Michiru assumed is Ladybug, just giggled behind her hand and started talking to Chat Noir. Michiru took it as the perfect moment to look around. In most directions, she could see doorways that lined two floors of the building, which curved around her. The door leading out was behind the two heroes(?), and she eyed the wall. _I could probably jump up there with cheetah legs. Then once I’m out of here, I could smell to see if I can find Nazuna!_

It was in the middle of the two talking that she caught one part of what Chat Noir was saying while slumping dejectedly. “Etes-vous sûr que c’est une Devil? Elle n’agit certainement pas comme ça?” Michiru’s head shot up and slowly turned to look at him, eye twitching. _Oh, he did NOT, just call me that!_

Scowling as her fur bristled, she jabbed a finger at the leather-clad boy. “Who are you calling a devil!? Just because I’m a beastman doesn’t give you the right to call me that!” Ladybug at least looked like she realized what her ally had said was started trying to help him understand his faux pas. Michiru took that moment to begin her escape. Her legs shifted into a cheetah’s, and she bolted for the stairs, vaulting off the handrails to land on the roof. 

She turned around and saw the two heroes looking up at her in surprise, a childish voice in the back of her head spoke to her. 

It said, “Bleh!” 

So she did too, much to Chat Noir’s offense and her own pleasure.

She wasted no time after that, hopping down to the street outside and bolting away. She ran for a few blocks before ducking into an alleyway and catching her breath. “That was close.” She peered around the corner and narrowed her eyes, seeing if she could spot either of the two weirdos. “If they’re in suits like that guy who wrecked the Medical Center, they’re probably working with him. And if they’re all working together, then that means Nazuna’s here too!” 

Looking at the buildings that were around, Michiru frowned. “Moreover... I’m clearly not in Anima City anymore.” She stared at her arms for a minute before slumping with a sigh. “Ugh, this is going to be so uncomfortable.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled as her fur rippled and hid away, leaving her looking completely human. “UGH! It still feels like wearing heels a size too small! How does Shirou do this all the time?” Leaving the alleyway, she looked around a bit more and tried to read a few signs. “Just where did I even end up anyways?” It was when she turned another corner, that her face contorted in disbelief at what she saw in the distance. “But... but that’s...”

Sitting in the middle of the wide-open square, the Arc De’ Triomphe stood proud. 

“I’m in PARIS!?” Groaning as she slumped forward, eyes twitching. Grabbing at her hair with a growl, Michiru slammed her fist into a nearby pole as her frustration started to grow. “How am I going to find Nazuna now!? I don't know my way around Paris!”

She blinked a bit before smacking herself in the head. “Oh, right. Wolf’s nose. Duh.”

Zipping back to the alleyway, she shifted her head into a wolf’s and inhaled. Her eyes shot open as she quickly changed her head back to human and gulped. Even if she was in Paris, what she smelled shouldn’t have been possible. It was _physically_ impossible.

She could smell humans, that part was expected.

She could smell the faint scent of death from the catacombs.

She could smell ice cream from a vendor a few blocks away.

What she couldn’t smell was _any_ other beastman.

Not even some random passerby.

Sinking down onto the ground, Michiru trembled a bit as she hugged herself. “Just what is going on?”

* * *

In a manor on the other side of town, Tsurugi Kagami was sitting in meditative silence, as per her mother’s request. While many would have found it mind-numbing to sit in place for hours, Kagami found it relaxing, and it was helping focus her thoughts. 

Or at least, it usually would.

Lately, her thoughts have been conflicting. While true that she considered Marinette her rival, even she has noticed a steady decline in the girl’s mental wellbeing. That Rossi girl clearly was doing something, but Marinette refused to tell her what. Adrien was equally unhelpful, though it felt like he was hiding something different from her.

All of these thoughts kept ruining her usual meditation, and Kagami sighed as she stood. It was clearly not working, so why continue? Leaving for her family room, she took a moment to stare at the swords on display. She knew full well her mother intended to give them to her when she turned eighteen and expected some level of competency in their use.

That expectation’s result of constant sword fighting of all kinds certainly left its mark on her skillset.

Before she could ruminate further, a blue flash and a thunderous clap of air ripped behind her. Spinning on her heel, Kagami grabbed one of the swords and held it at her hip, ready to cut down whatever Akuma had dared to enter her home.

Instead, she saw a pink fox girl lying face-first on her couch, dressed in a plain white shirt, pale blue ankle-length skirt, and white sandals.

Kagami was hesitant at first, but she slowly moved closer to get a better look. A gentle nudge of her sword’s sheath made the fox roll slightly. Seeing the eyes of the fox girl closed, she let some of the tension bleed out of her, but there was another thing that caught Kagami’s attention. A lone dart was sticking out of the fox girl’s chest, and her sleep looked to be rife with discomfort.

It was an impulsive decision, something quite unusual for Kagami, that led to her reaching down and pulling out the dart. Almost immediately, the fox’s breathing steadied, and she looked to be finding comfort in the cushions of the couch.

The door to the room slammed open and made Kagami jump as her mother started into the room. Blind she may have been, but Tsurugi Tomoe’s hearing was as concise as ever. “Kagami? What is going on?”

Kagami frowned as she looked to her mother, still holding the dart in her hand. “I’m not sure, Mother, but I believe we have an unconscious yokai in our house.”

Tomoe scowled as she walked into the room. “Kagami, you will not lie to me. Explain what happened.” 

Of course, her mother didn’t believe her, Kagami thought bitterly for a moment. It wasn’t exactly surprising though, all things considered. “Mother, I am telling the truth. She is currently sitting on our couch, and-”

“Ow... my head.” Both Tsurugi women stopped, and Tomoe’s eyebrows knitted together as she listened. Slowly, the fox girl got up and was holding her head in one hand. When her eyes opened more, she yipped in surprise the moment she saw Kagami. “W-Who are you? Where am I?”

Tomoe’s face was expressionless as she walked forward until she stopped just next to Kagami. Placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, the older Tsurugi let out a long sigh. “It seems I owe you an apology. You spoke true, after all. We do have a guest.” turning to the couch, Tomoe frowned. “I am Tsurugi Tomoe, and I would like to know who you are and as to how you arrived at my home.”

The fox girl just blinked a bit before scratching at her cheek nervously. “My name is Hiwatashi Nazuna. Although, um, I’m not totally sure where here is, to be honest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If ANY of the foreign readers see this and want to kill me for how inaccurate the non-English parts are, PLEASE, just send me a proper translation so I can juxtapose it into the chapter for corrections. Murdering me will not advance the story in any way, shape, or form. If anything, it will do the opposite, as dead people have a hard time using keyboards.


	3. Kitsunes, Flea Markets, and Scheming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nazuna explains some things to Kagami and her mother and gets some explanations in return.
> 
> Meanwhile, Shirou gets to do his thing and starts searching for his charge and her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPOSITION TIME EVERYBODY

The staff of the Tsurugi household could be considered both exceptionally efficient, and indescribably unflappable. It was due to those traits that the servants didn’t even bat an eye at the sudden addition to the household’s occupants. It was Kagami’s posture that let them know the police wouldn’t be needed, as she lacked the degree of tension they would have expected, should this other girl have been unwelcome. Doubly so for Mistress Tsurugi herself. Blind or not, had this extra guest been a threat, Tomoe would have had her at swordpoint by now.

Which is why they did nothing to disturb the three as they sat in the living room, discussing the situation over tea.

Setting down her cup, Tomoe’s face scrunched in thought. “So, you’re from a place called Anima City, which is located just off the coast of the Japanese mainland?”

Nazuna nodded after she had a small sip of tea. “That’s right.”

Kagami looked at her ears as they twitched through the long pink hair. “And you’re a... beastman?”

“Yep.” Nazuna smiled and raised an eyebrow at Kagami. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of us. Pretty much the whole world knows about beastmen. Or is Paris truly that isolated right now?”

Looking down at her tea, Kagami grimaced. “I am truly sorry, Hiwatashi, but-”

“Nazuna.”

Startled, Kagami raised her head to look at Nazuna again. “W-what?”

Raising a hand gently, Nazuna kept smiling. “If it’s okay with you, just call me Nazuna.”

Blushing a bit, Kagami nodded. “R-Right,” Kagami muttered before she took a moment to clear her throat. “Nazuna, I’m not sure how to tell you, but the closest thing I have ever heard of Beastmen would be in fictional stories and myths.” Nazuna’s eyes widened as Kagami continued. “I thought you were a Kitsune when you appeared in our living room.”

Nazuna’s eyes moved to her own fuzzy hands, and a melancholy smile fell onto her face. “There are days I wonder that myself.”

Tomoe raised an eyebrow as she turned slightly from her tea. “Why would you? Were you not born this way?” Kagami winced a bit at her mother’s bluntness, but Nazuna looked relatively unfazed.

Staring down at her tea, Nazuna looked like she was starting to get lost in memories as she gently shook her head. “I know this may come as a shock, but I used to be a normal, everyday human.”

Kagami didn’t know she could get more surprised. “Really?”

Tomoe’s voice carried a small hint of steel. “Those are very steep claims, Ms. Hiwatashi. Especially after having felt your hands myself.”

Sighing, Nazuna set her cup down as she looked up. “I know, so please, let me explain.” 

Nazuna took a deep breath to calm herself as she picked her tea back up. “About a year and a half ago, I was meeting up with my friend on the way to school, when a bus failed to stop in time, and we ended up in an accident. My arm was shattered, and my friend’s leg was actually worse. The damage was bad enough; we needed surgery to have a chance at a normal life afterward. We both had to get blood transfusions as a result, which would be completely normal in any other situation.”

She paused to take a sip before she continued. “That was where our lives, unfortunately, took a turn. It was due to a mixup with the blood packs that we were given something other than our blood type. Instead, it was a regent of beastman blood that was being used to test experimental drugs. Nobody noticed it had even happened, and we went on with our lives as normal. Until one day, after we were better and I had managed to land an audition,” Nazuna gestured to herself and smiled sadly, “this happened, right where everyone could see. I didn’t even get through the day before I was being loaded into a van and taken away from everything I knew.”

The sight of Nazuna’s sorrow was heartbreaking, and at that moment, Kagami envied her mother’s blindness. She wanted to know what was causing such pain but wasn’t sure if she should ask. When she couldn’t think of anything else, she decided to bite the bullet. “Can you not change back?”

“I sort of can. I can make myself _look_ human again.” Nazuna took a moment to breathe before in a pink flash that rippled up her body, she shifted back into human form; pink hair turning orange except for a red streak in the front. “But on a genetic level, I’m still a beastman. This is just a disguise I can use.”

Tomoe spoke up with a frown. “And your friend? Did they?”

Nazuna nodded, then remembered that Tomoe was blind and blushed. “Yes, she turned into a beastman too. It happened only a day or two after me, but I didn’t find out until a few months ago. Though, instead of a fox, she turned into a tanuki.” An amused giggle escaped her lips as a memory came up. “It’s kind of fitting, considering her more eccentric personality. Always rushing into situations and jumping to conclusions without thinking ahead. There was one time when she tried to transform back into a human by putting a leaf on her head doing a backflip. Everyone still teases her about that.”

* * *

Roaming a random street in Paris, Michiru sneezed hard enough; she almost lost her human disguise. “Someone’s talking trash about me, I just know it... Probably Marie. Stupid weasel-mink hustler.” 

* * *

“I see.” A rare smile came to Tomoe’s lips as she hummed. “You sound very fond of this friend.”

Nazuna’s face sobers as she nods. “I am. Michiru is like the sister I never had. She was the only friend I had growing up, and she supported me so much, even when I told her about my impossible dream of becoming an Idol. We did everything together.” Sighing, she slumps back into her seat, turning to look at the door leading out of the room. “Which is why I hope she’s alright.”

The three sat in silence for a while. Tomoe respected the need for a break, and Kagami was unsure what to say. At least she was able to gain a name for this friend of Nazuna’s. _Michiru. She certainly doesn’t sound mature from what Nazuna said._

It was Tomoe that started the conversation anew, breaking Kagami from her thoughts. “I take it _this_ has something to do with how you got here?” She pulled out the dart that had once been stuck in Nazuna and placed it on the table.

Nazuna’s face fell as she looked down at the dart. “That’s correct. We were on the rooftop of a skyscraper when this strange man attacked us. He was wearing a full-body suit and a mask that hid his face entirely. He said he needed our ‘assistance’ for something, but when we told him no-.” She trailed off, glancing away from the dart and holding one of her arms.

Kagami looked at her with concern before putting a finger across her lips in thought. “Could this have been an Akuma’s doing?”

Raising an eyebrow, Nazuna looked over at the fencer. “Paris has demons running free?”

Tomoe chuckled a bit at that before standing. “It seems it is our turn to explain some things.” gesturing for them to follow, Tomoe led them out of the room and down the halls. “To answer your question, yes and no. We of Paris currently have a problem with a man calling himself Hawkmoth. He has been abusing power, powers he should not have, to create Akumas, which he then sends out to seek Someone with negative emotions. When they do find Someone, they give them frightening abilities and warp their mind into committing evil acts and obeying Hawkmoth’s orders.” They paused for a moment at the front door, Tomoe nodding, and one of the assistants bowed before walking away. “Our family, like many, have felt this touch before.”

Kagami looked down with a grimace as she tried not to look at Nazuna. “I am ashamed to admit that I was Akumatized twice so far. Both times, it was Ladybug and Chat Noir that had to bring my rampage to an end.”

As a car pulled up and the passenger door opened on its own, Nazuna looked to Kagami with confusion. “Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

Kagami nodded and gave a small smile. “The protectors of Paris. They use ancient artifacts known as Miraculous to give themselves superhuman power, and use that strength to protect this city. It is actually the same pair of Miraculous they use that Hawkmoth seeks, as every Akuma under his control demands them.”

Nazuna wasn’t sure how to appropriately respond, so she just looked at the city that sprawled before them and picked up her jaw. “And here I thought Anima City was lively.”

“Indeed. However, this is where I must cut our conversation short. I have business I must attend to.” Stepping into the car, Tomoe sat in the first seat but held up a hand when the two girls tried to follow her in. “Kagami, do your best to assist Ms. Hiwatashi. If her friend was with her when she was brought here, it is likely they are somewhere in Paris as well and will be unable to communicate with anyone.”

Kagami bowed to her mother and smiled. “Yes, Mother. I will do my best.”

Tomoe’s car pulled away, and the two stood looking out at the city. “You know, I always wanted to come to Paris one day. I thought any chances of that had been ruined when-” Nazuna’s face fell as dread washed over her. “Oh, no... I just remembered Michiru hates transforming into a human. Knowing her, she’s probably running around with her tail out.”

“With her-? Oh, you mean she’s still a tanuki.” As Nazuna nodded, Kagami frowned in concern. “That... might cause a panic.”

“We should find her before she gets into any trouble.”

“Agreed.”

* * *

Whatever Shirou had expected when he tackled his perp, it certainly wasn’t this.

Shifting back down to being merely a wolfman and not a full-blown wolf, Shirou sighed. He looked over the city of Paris from a perch he hadn’t been to in almost a century. _Paris... that level of distance being covered with teleportation will make catching this guy the hardest case I’ve had yet._ He put a hand to his chin and hummed in thought. _Worse, he did something to Michiru and Nazuna. They were alive, which means he wants them for something. But what?_

A gust of wind blew by and ruffled the fur on his chest, making him sigh. “Hopefully, the flea market has trench coats.” Looking over the city again, he closed his eyes and inhaled.

His eyes shot open as he fought back a snarl. _Not even a single beastman!? How!? Not even World War II was like this. Just what did these_ **_humans_ ** _do to cause this?_

A thump came from behind him, and he could smell the human before he landed. “Excuse me, but I’m going to have to ask you to get down. Tours are closed for the day.”

“Human. Where are the-” Shirou turned and glared, only to pause at the sight of the leather-clad boy. He looked at the kid with annoyance and noted how he was armed with a baton. He also saw how he was trying to avoid using his left hand. _These humans send a child to fight when injured? Just how barbaric has France become since I last visited?_

As Shirou’s eyes bore into him, the kid twirled his baton to hold at the ready, narrowing his eyes. “Look, I don’t know what kind of effect you’re under, but I’d rather not see if your bite is worse than your bark.” _And he makes puns._ “Besides, I need to make sure that Tanuki isn’t giving my partner any trouble.” 

A growl escaped Shirou as he looked towards the boy. Eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, the wolf man’s shadow loomed over the boy. “Where are they?” 

A spark of fear wafted off of the kid before he jumped back to get some distance. “Hey now, no need to bare your fangs.”

Shirou really was trying to calm down, but knowing that Michiru and Nazuna were being kidnapped right when he had tackled the perp, only to find himself a moment later dealing with some punk, was doing little to help. Shirou could feel the rage, but a flash of Michiru’s face in his memory made him calm down, if only somewhat. Still, he had a more critical matter to figure out. “I won’t ask again. The tanuki you mentioned. Where is she?” 

He could tell how well practiced this boy was at hiding emotion behind a smile. “Not sure, but if you think I’m going to let you run around terrorizing Paris, you’ve got another thing coming.” With a lunge, the kid swung his baton right for Shirou’s head. Shirou didn’t even blink as he darted past the boy, got behind him, and caught the baton on the backswing. With a twist, he disarmed him, spun him around, and jabbed the staff into his gut, sending the boy sprawling onto his back.

Looking down at the kid, who was groaning as he pushed himself back up with a look of surprise, Shirou jabbed the baton into the grate beside him and sighed. “I have more important things to worry about than dealing with you. Stay out of my way.”

Shirou leaped off of the platform and landed on the ground with a thump before looking around. “If I remember right, the flea market was in that direction.” 

In a few minutes, Shirou had made it a few blocks away and stalked the shadows of the alleyways. It wasn’t too hard to find the flea market, but he now had a new problem.

If he shifted back to human form, he’d be naked. 

Seeing a man about his build walking closer, he sighed and waited by the mouth of the alley. The poor sap didn’t even register what had happened as he was dragged into the alleyway, and Shirou knocked him out. The dress jacket itself was somewhat tight, but Shirou put on the clothes anyways before taking enough Euros to reasonably barter himself some clothes, even if they wreaked human scent.

Even now that he was at least mostly clothed, Shirou’s internal thoughts found the whole situation oddly familiar. _Reminds me of 1926. That was an eventful year. Never did catch that guy who stopped Mussalini’s assassination._

It didn’t take long for him to barter a new trench coat and some cheap shirts and slacks. He almost ended up having to buy sequin disco pants until he saw the less expensive pair he had on. _Never again. And if Barbara still has that picture, I’m deleting it_ and _her phone_. 

Once dressed in the new clothes, he left the borrowed pair on the unconscious guy that was still in the alley. Stepping out and heading a small way down the road, he flagged down a police officer and told them there was a guy knocked out in the alley, probably mugged. The officer just nodded to him with thanks before taking off to check on him.

Shirou sighed again and headed back to the Eiffel Tower. Once he was at the base, he took a deep breath through his nose.

The smells were still human, but now he had an idea of what scent to track.

The smell of that boy from earlier was still on the higher platform, but it trailed off in two directions. The older smell went over the roofs towards what he remembered as residential areas, while the other bounded off towards a business district.

Following the older trail, he found himself at a school that had police at the front gates, talking to who he assumed was the staff. From what he could glisten around the corner, some students were missing, and something about a demon terrorizing the students.

He took another whiff of the air and smiled faintly as a familiar scent caught his nose.

It was only a moment before he was off again, trailing after a certain Tanuki.

* * *

Screaming in frustration, a man in a dark room punched the wall, leaving cracks splintering up the concrete. “Stupid wolf! I was _this_ close to finishing this!”

He took several deep, heaving breaths before he stalked to a computer and pulled up his chair. “Whatever. Sure, that mangy mutt managed to send all of us across Paris, costing me a crucial component, but that’s fine.” A twisted smile started to grow as several screens flickered to life. Two of which had what he wanted to be shown. In one, a young girl in a red jacket was running down the streets of Paris looking for Someone. Another showed a girl in a long skirt that was doing the same.

He paused at the sight of the second one for a moment, grabbing his chin as a third girl came into the picture. “It looks like they’ve made a friend already.” His eyes lit up with excitement as he fought back a laugh. 

_“Perfect.”_


	4. Language Barriers, Friendship, and... Akumas!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes a new friend, An Akuma attacks, and a Wolf catches a Bug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay all, as a note to all prior readers, I have updated the formatting of the previous three chapters. I took another look at chapter 3 and saw how some of the spacing between paragraphs was inconsistent. Once I figured out that you don't need to manually add the gap between the two on this site, I figured it would be a good idea to gutsy up the other chapters while I was at it.  
> With that being said, let's get on with the story!

Ladybug swung overhead as she scanned the streets, growling in frustration as she still couldn’t find the tanuki from earlier. “Where did she go? She couldn’t have gotten _that_ far, right?” Sighing, she landed on a roof and pulled up her communicator. She immediately called Chat and tapped her foot as it rang.

 _Cat got your tongue? Leave a message!’_ Ladybug let out a frustrated groan until her communicator went off, showing a call from Chat. With a sigh of relief, she flipped open the bug-phone and saw Chat smiling at her. “ _Evening, My Lady. Sorry for not answering right away. Baton was stuck.”_

“That’s alright, Chat” Sighing, she rubbed her head and frowned. “I haven’t been able to find the girl from earlier or see the Akuma running around. We may need to head home and wait until they show themselves again.”

 _“That... might cause some problems. I did find someone over here, but they were_ not _a tanuki.”_ Wincing, Chat grimaced as the background shifted.

The change wasn’t unnoticed by his partner. ‘ _Looks like he was lying down for a moment. I wonder why?’_ Ladybug furrowed her brow, concern flashing in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Chat popped his back and rolled his neck. “ _There was a werewolf just standing on top of the Eiffel Tower. I did try to confront him, but he knocked me down without even trying!”_ He got a pop out of his shoulder and sighed before glancing at his ring. “ _What’s weird is that even though he could have easily done it, he didn’t even ask for the Miraculous.”_

“He didn’t?” Ladybug blinked in surprise, a hand subconsciously moving towards her earrings before she stopped herself. Putting a hand on her chin in thought, she let out a small hum. “Then again, the tanuki didn’t either. Though she also couldn’t speak French, which could be part of it as well.”

Chat shook his head with a small frown. “ _Well, this guy could. The moment I even mentioned the tanuki, he got really aggressive, demanding to know where she was.”_

Ladybug nodded a bit as she looked back to Chat. “It’s likely they know each other then. I can’t say what kind of relationship they have, though. Either way, there’s no way a werewolf or a tanuki girl could stay hidden in Paris for long. We’ll just have to be patient and wait to see if they show up anywhere.”

Chat gave a quick nod along with his two-finger salute. “ _If that’s the case, I’m going to go and see if I can’t find a way to explain away the sprain. Take care, My Lady!”_

“You too, and good luck, Chat.” Closing the communicator, Ladybug looked around to make sure she was still alone before dropping her transformation with a long, drawn-out sigh. As Marinette slumped against the brick wall of the building, Tikki flew up to her face. “Today just keeps getting better and better.”

The kwami gave her a worried smile as she nuzzled into Marinette’s cheek. “It’s alright, Marinette. Whatever is going on, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Looking up at the sky overhead, Marinette felt her worries start to build. “I hope so, Tikki.” Closing her eyes in thought, Marinette walked out of the alley and turned to head back to school, knowing they would be freaking out over her sudden disappearance.

Only to walk straight into someone running down the street. The two fell backward from the impact, and Marinette winced as her tailbone hit the concrete. Marinette groaned as she sat back up, rubbing her backside. She gasped for a moment and looked inside her purse, checking to find Tikki hiding and giving her a small nod. She sighed as whoever she’d run into scrambled back to their feet and offered a hand. “G-Gomen’nasai! Anata ni aimasendeshita.”

Marinette’s eyes widened as she froze for a moment. _Wait a second! That’ s-!_ Looking up in surprise, she found herself staring at a girl with an asymmetrical bob cut. Moreover, she had the exact outfit the tanuki from earlier was wearing. The two just stared at each other before Marinette’s brain finally sent something to her mouth. “Uh...”

Not the most elegant response, but it was very Marinette.

The girl blinked a bit before she facepalmed and grumbled under her breath. “Ā matte, Anata wa osoraku nihongo ga hanasemasen.” 

Still, sitting on her butt, Marinette’s mind was racing. _This girl has to be the tanuki from earlier, I’m sure of it!_ Her face contorted a bit in thought as she eyed the lack of brown fur on the girl’s limbs. _So why does she look like an average person now? Were the amok’s effects temporary?_

If any more things went and threw a wrench in Marinette’s train of thought, she was sure the whole thing would derail and combust.

“Kagemori Michiru!”

Jumping a bit and looking back to the girl’s face, Marinette realized she was acting like a weirdo again. “Huh?”

The girl just smiled as she pulled Marinette to her feet before putting a hand on her chest. “Kagemori Michiru!” 

Marinette just stared at her in confusion before realization struck her. “Oh!” Offering a hand, she couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

After a quick handshake, Michiru rubbed her chin in thought. “Mari, netto?” Michiru mulled over the name for a moment, before her eyes snapped open and she gasped. “Ā! Wasureta!” Quickly darting around Marinette, she ran off down the street while waving behind her. “Sayōnara, Mari netto! Hajimemashite!”

“Wait! I-!” Marinette cried out, but the girl was gone from sight before she could take a step. Sighing, she put a hand to her head and started back towards the school. ‘ _Maybe I should ask Kagami for help on this one.’_ Marinette immediately shook her head at the thought and frowned. ‘ _No, bad Marinette! Don’t assume your Japanese friend speaks Japanese. That’s rude.’_ Still, she looked over her shoulder at where the girl had run off and hummed. “Kagemori Michiru, huh? At least I have a name for her now.” ‘ _The language barrier here is starting to get in the way, though. I should figure out a way around that for the next time we meet.'_

* * *

“Nazuna!” Michiru jogged down the road looking around as she put her hands to her mouth. “Nazuna!” Going around a corner, Michiru grumbled. _Where is she? Paris can’t be that big... Can it?_

Before she could ponder that thought any farther, however, someone stepped out of an alley, and Michiru ended up running into them. She fell back with a squawk and rubbed her backside before looking up and seeing a girl with pigtails doing the same. The girl let out a small gasp as she checked her purse, and Michiru hastily stood up, offering a hand. “Sorry! I didn’t see you.”

The girl seemed to freeze before she turned to look at Michiru. They both stared at each other before she finally said something. “Euh?”

Michiru just blinked a few times before she facepalmed. “Oh wait, you probably can’t speak Japanese.” _Seriously Michiru, good going. You forgot the French speak French._

Looking back down at whoever this girl was, Michiru could see that they seemed lost in their thoughts, and were looking at her in surprise. _Is my fashion sense that bad? No. they’re probably supposed to be in school or something... wow, how long has it been since I’ve taken any classes? I should probably do that once we’re back in Anima City._

Clearing her throat, Michiru put a thumb to her chest and smirked. “Kagemori Michiru!”

The girl jolted and looked at her in surprise. “Hein?”

 _Going to assume that was a huh and move from there._ Fighting back a chuckle, Michiru pulled her to her feet and put a hand on her chest. “Kagemori, Michiru!”

There was a moment of staring before the message registered with the girl. “Oh!” A blush rushed across the girl’s face as she offered a hand. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

The handshake wasn’t very long, and Michiru found herself mulling over the name. “Mari, nette?” _Kinda like Marie, but I don’t see this girl hustling me any time soon._ Closing her eyes, Michiru let her thoughts wander. _Maybe I should ask Nazuna about it?_

_Nazuna..._

_..._

_..._

_OH CRAP I FORGOT ABOUT NAZUNA!_

Her eyes snapped open, and Michiru gasped. “AH! I forgot!” Bolting past Marinette, Michiru waved behind her. “Goodbye, Marinette! Nice to meet you!”

The girl said something, but Michiru had already turned the corner and was charging down another street. She stopped next to a light pole and hummed, looking around. “Now, where the heck is Nazun-” An explosion ripped through the city, it’s shockwave sending Michiru flying through the air and flailing her non-flying human arms. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?” 

The poor girl landed straight into a garbage can, with only her legs sticking out. With a minute of struggling, she pulled herself out and looked around with a twitching eye. “What is wrong with this place? First crazy people in spandex, now random explosions? I thought this was the city of love!”

Another boom behind her sent a wave of dust past her, and she hesitantly turned around.

She wished she hadn’t.

This... wasn’t like the other guy in the Nirvasyl Syndrome suit. This person couldn’t be more than sixteen years old, but their skin had turned a strange shade of blue. They were wearing a billowing cloak only a few shades lighter than their skin, and it covered their whole body except for their arms. On their eyes, were a pair of goggles that kept dilating randomly as they looked around. 

_I have so many questions._

“Où es-tu Marinette? Ce n'est pas très agréable de se cacher de ses amis!” the person shouted, twisting around to look down the streets. “Votre pauvre mère est si inquiète. Alors laissez-moi au moins l'aider à savoir où était sa fille pendant tout ce temps!”

 _Wait a second._ Michiru paused as she hid behind the garbage can she’d been stuck in. _Isn’t Marinette the girl I just met? Could this guy be after her!?_ Peeking around the can to see if the weird person was looking at her, she quickly bolted for an alleyway. _I gotta find her and warn her!_

Before Michiru could get to the alley, a blue ball shot past her and landed on the wall of one of the buildings, before blowing up and filling the gap with... safety foam!? “Wah!” Michiru ran smack into the blue foam, bouncing off and onto her back. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH PARIS!?”

The person was stalking towards her and was waving a finger at her. “Vous ... vous ressemblez à ce truc qui s'est présenté à l'école.”

Michiru sat up as she turned around, scooting back as much as she could, and raised both hands with an uneasy smile. “Um...I don’t speak French?”

Whipping their arm to the side, Michiru got a good look at the attire that the person was hiding under their cloak. A skin-tight suit was lined with several more of the blue spheres, and on their hip was what looked like a launcher for them. “Vous êtes donc cette chose d’avant!”

Fear paralyzed Michiru as she stared down the end of the launcher now pointed at her face. This was it. This was how she was going to die. Not in some lovely, peaceful cottage in the countryside. Not on some crazy mission with Shirou. No, she was going to be suffocated by safety foam in Paris, France, by a crazy person.

Until she heard someone shouting. “MICHIRU!”

Before the person, whoever they were, could look to see who had shouted, a large, pink, and fuzzy Gorilla-fist slammed into them, sending the assailant flying into a building down the road.

Panting heavily, Nazuna shifted her arms back down to normal before rushing over to Michiru and grabbing her by the head. “Are you alright?”

Michiru stared at her for a moment before tearing up and latching onto her friend with a bone-crushing hug. “Nazuna! I’m so happy you’re okay!”

Nazuna returned the hug with a laugh. “I’m glad you’re okay too.”

That’s when another girl ran up to the duo and looked apprehensive at the rubble in the distance. “We need to go.” She pulled Michiru up to her feet and flinched when the building she sent the person flying into exploded. 

The blue person stepped free from the rubble, goggles broken and a red eye glaring at the trio. “Vous êtes plus nombreux!?” The person growled before raising their launcher again. “Peu importe. Il faudra plus que quelques gamins pour m'empêcher de retrouver Marinette!”

The new girl’s eyes widened as the three of them started running. A few quick turns down some alleyways, and the three were panting as they hid in the shadows. All the while, the screaming of the person could be heard from a ways off.

Michiru took a moment as one to sigh as she slumped against the building. “That was close.”

Nazuna nodded as she rested her hands on her knees. “Yeah.” Getting up, she let out a long breath before smiling. “But I’m just glad we found you.”

The new girl nodded as she had a small smile, though it looked a bit strained. “I’m happy to have been of assistance in finding your friend.”

“Speaking of!” Michiru stood up and narrowed her eyes, circling the new girl. “Who are you? Last time Nazuna tried to make friends on her own, she started a cult.”

The girl raised an eyebrow at Nazuna, tilting her head. “A cult?”

“H-HEY!” Nazuna blushed straight through her fur and punched Michiru in the arm. “I was desperate, and Boris tricked me!”

Laughing a bit, the girl drew their attention, and her smile was a little more genuine. “I see.” Turning to Michiru, the girl bowed slightly. “I am Tsurugi Kagami. It is a pleasure to meet you, Michiru. Nazuna told me some stories about you as we looked for your whereabouts.” Kagami looked at her with a raised eyebrow before smirking a bit. “Though, she also said you would likely be furrier when we found you.”

“Wha-?” Michiru let out an offended gasp and put a hand to her chest. “You thought I would be so irresponsible as to run around with my tail out?” With a turn of her head, she pointedly stared at the edge of the roof and away from Nazuna. “This isn’t Anima City. I’m reasonable enough not to do anything silly.”

Nazuna just raised an eyebrow as she shifted back to human form. “Really?”

Blushing, Michiru pouted. “It was one time, and it was to keep Nina from drowning!”

“Not to change the subject,” Kagami interrupted with a frown, “but what the Akuma said earlier has me worried.” Michiru tilted her head in confusion, and Kagami pointed over her shoulder. “The person from earlier. I’ll explain in more detail later, but it sounded like they were after Marinette.”

Michiru paused before raising both hands to the side of her head and mimicking a grabbing motion. “Black hair, pigtails, and really blue eyes?”

Kagami looked surprised before nodding. “How did you know?”

Michiru smiled as she dropped her arms and grinned. “I ran into her accidentally earlier.” Rubbing the back of her head, she let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Though uh... I’m pretty sure she couldn’t understand a word I said.”

Nazuna rolled her eyes and sighed. “We’re in Paris, Michiru. Does it really surprise you that she didn’t?”

Kagami had worry and fear dancing in her eyes. “Was she alright?”

“I mean, I did accidentally run into her, but other than that, she seemed okay.” Michiru shrugged before frowning in thought. “Though, shouldn’t both of you be in school or something? There’s no way she was older than me.”

“I was given the day off, at the request of my mother,” Kagami stated before looking thoughtful. “However, Marinette most definitely should be in classes. If you ran into her here, that is unusual for her.”

Michiru blushed a bit and twiddled her fingers. “If uh, hypothetically, someone unusual were to show up in the middle of the courtyard, would that make her run and hide?”

Kagami frowned. “I take it that is where you first arrived?” 

At Michiru’s nod, Nazuna sighed. “Michiru, what did you do?”

“All I did was wake up!” Michiru threw her arms up and pouted. “It’s not my fault that weird guy in a catsuit called me a demon!”

“Catsuit?” Kagami grimaced and shook her head. “If Chat Noir was there, then it is likely that they all think you were an Akuma. That, and when an Akuma shows up, Marinette is usually the first to run and hide, and she likely fled the school entirely.”

Nazuna hummed a bit as she looked up in thought. “If that’s the case, then could the Akuma be someone who was concerned for her?”

Michiru winced a bit as another shout came from the distance. “I don’t think that concern is the right word.”

* * *

Marinette had been running down the streets back towards the school when her phone went off. She didn’t stop running as she pulled it out, but soon stopped and stared in shock at the Akuma Alert on her phone. “But... but we haven’t even caught the last Akuma yet! Is Hawkmoth really strong enough to send out a second already?”

Tikki nudged her chosen one from her place in Marinette’s purse and shook her head. “I think it’s more likely that he recalled the last one to throw us off, but either way, we should hurry! The longer we wait, the more damage the Akuma will cause.”

“Right.” Taking a turn into an alley, Marinette made sure nobody was watching before she sighed. “Tikki? Spots on!”

Ladybug opened the Akuma App again on her communicator and hummed. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” A surprising amount of information was already being shared regarding the Akuma. The information which Ladybug took as a blessing in disguise. “Looks like there were enough people around when the Akuma took control to know why they were targeted.”

“Akuma Name: Friend Finder. Wow Hawkmoth, so original. Goal: Searching for-” She paled and did a double-take, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng!?” _Why would they be looking for me!?_ Scrolling down, she frowned. “Alright... concerned in regards to where she keeps disappearing during attacks. Understandable, I’ll admit.” _It doesn’t help that I can’t tell anyone about this._ She closed the communicator and sighed. _Kinda wishing I hadn’t convinced Alya and Max to remove the name of the person afflicted. I’d have an idea of who I’m saving, but even that’s not worth exposing someone’s private problems like that._

Zipping to the roofs and over Paris, Ladybug searched for signs of the Akuma. However, she had that niggling feeling of dread poking at the back of her mind again. “Something just isn’t right here. But what?” 

A moment later, she was almost knocked out of the air by a tan blur. A quick toss of her yo-yo helped her flip to a landing on the street, rolling for a moment before launching herself back into the air. Looking to where the blur had been headed, she was met face to face with a blue wolf.

Who was about to tackle her back out of the air.

Seeing no way to dodge, she braced herself for the impact, and the two landed on the rooftop of a nearby building. Ladybug herself was surprised to find that she wasn’t being pinned to the roof, and instead held like a sack of potatoes under the wolf’s arm. 

Wait... arm? Wolf?

Ladybug’s surprise was cut short when she was unceremoniously dropped onto the roof with a small ‘oomph’ as a result. The wolf then waited for her to stand up before crossing his arms. “I have some questions for you, and I’m not leaving without answers.”

Ladybug groaned internally as she straightened up. _At least this one speaks French._


	5. Battles, Inquiries, and Interviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a tanuki bounces, an akuma is sorta defeated, and a reunion happens.

From their hiding spot around the corner of the building, Michiru, Kagami, and Nazuna all watched as Chat Noir arrived and started to battle the Akuma. Their search for Marinette had unfortunately drawn them too close to the Akuma, and it was only the superhero’s arrival that kept Friend Finder from, well, finding them.

At the sight of the leather-clad boy, Michiru narrowed her eyes. “That’s the jerk.”

Nazuna sighed and pinched her nose. “Michiru, it was a misunderstanding.”

“He called me a demon, Nazuna!”

“And as I explained, he thought you were a reluctant villain like the person he’s fighting right now,” Kagami stated as she kept her eyes trained on the fight. It was clear that the battle was stuck in a stalemate, Chat taunting and dodging while Friend Finder fired off her volleys. But that thought was corrected somewhat when she noticed someone missing. “Where is Ladybug?”

“You mean the one in red and spots?” Michiru asked, looking at Kagami with a raised eyebrow.

Kagami nodded and started to scan the roofs nearby, looking for any sign of red. “She is needed if the Akuma is going to be purified. Without her, none of the damage will be repaired, and the freed Akuma will fly off and multiply.”

 _“Multiply!?”_ Nazuna paled as she looked at Kagami in shock. “What do you mean it can multiply?”

Turning from the fight, Kagami sighed a bit. “I was not here for it, but the first villain, a golem known as Stoneheart, had been freed of his Akuma. However, because Ladybug did not purify it, it flew to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where it divided itself into a swarm that started turning everyone they touched into copies of Stoneheart. It was only when Ladybug captured them all, that the people affected were turned back to normal.”

Nazuna looked back at the fight, and her stomach dropped. “Uh, girls?” When the other two looked over at her, then back to the battle, Nazuna gulped. “That uh, super-guy isn’t looking so good.”

Michiru saw that Chat’s arm had been pinned to the ground by the foam after a blast hit his hand. She didn’t like him all that much, but the sight of the hero struggling to free himself filled her with worry. She wished Shirou was there to help.

Then an idea popped into her head.

If Shirou wasn’t there to scold her...

“I have an idea!”

Nazuna paled further. “Oh, no.”

Kagami frowned at the two of them. “Should I be worried?”

Michiru waved her off with a confident smirk. “Nah, I did it in my head, and it worked out fine!” She pulled the two into a huddle with her and shifted back into her tanuki form. “So, here’s what we’re gonna do...”

* * *

Today just wasn’t Chat’s day. First the wrist, then the wolf, and now a second Akuma? Just what did Hawkmoth do with his days? Sit around in a hot tub eating grapes all day while working from home? It’s like he has no life, or even hobbies to occupy his time!

It was very tempting to just wait for Hawkmoth to show up so he could deck the man in the face. 

But no. Instead, Chat Noir found himself dodging the attacks coming from Friend Finder and wondering just where the heck Ladybug was.

“Hey, I know you’re interested in where Marinette is but isn’t this overkill?”

Friend Finder glared and readied their launcher again. “No, it isn’t! She’s always gone when an Akuma attacks and nobody can find her! I’m going to find out where she keeps going, and nothing is going to stop me!”

Chat launched himself into a backflip, the shot aimed for him hitting a car and filling it with foam as he landed on top. _Their voice is being altered by their transformation, so I can’t identify them that way._ He twirled his staff with a cheeky grin and hopped down from the car. “I mean, I’m right here, and she’s not, so...” He gave them a shrug and blew a raspberry.

With a scream of rage, Friend Finder fired off more shots, each missing as Chat dodged and took to the roofs. “HOLD STILL!” The shots only stopped coming for Chat when a glowing butterfly showed up over their face.

Chat took that moment to charge forward and try to snatch the launcher, only Friend Finder jumped back and fired, landing a shot on his hand that trapped his entire arm in safety foam that quickly stuck to the ground below. _Crap!_

Friend Finder chuckled and walked forward. “Well, little Kitty, it looks like I’m the winner of this little game. Now I just have to wait for your transformation to wear off, don’t I?”

Chat growled and looked at his hand. “Cataclysm!” The foam turned to ash, and he readied his staff again. _Ladybug, I could use some help right about now._

“Oi!”

Friend Finder and Chat paused and looked down the road, where a certain tanuki was standing. Chat could feel his jaw drop as she blew a raspberry and started mocking the Akuma. Chat could see Friend Finder’s interest move from him and towards the tanuki as she began to make stupid faces. _Is... is she helping me?_

Friend Finder looked utterly annoyed as she readied her blaster towards the tanuki. “Stupid animal!” They fired but was shocked when the girl practically vanished from sight before the shot even reached her. “WHAT!?”

On a neighboring roof, the tanuki girl waved with a cheeky grin. “Kotchida〜!” Another shot fired, and the girl _leaped_ quickly to another rooftop on the other side of the street. “Mōikkai〜!”

As the girl continued to jump and dodge, Chat felt somewhat odd. If you asked him, it was not because he was impressed at how acrobatic she was, and it _certainly_ wasn’t _jealousy_ , cause that would be silly. _She’s doing my thing. I’m supposed to be doing my thing!_

It was Friend Finder’s scream of frustration that brought him back to reality. “JUST HOLD STILL ALREADY!” A blast knocked the tanuki off the roof, and she fell back with a startled cry. Just as she was about to hit the ground, though, her tail started to glow. With a blinding flash of light, she was engulfed by her tail and bounced harmlessly off of a car. With a small pop, her tail returned to its average size, and she was standing with her arms stretched out and grinning.

Chat blinked back to reality and readied his staff. _You know what? I’ll take it._

With Friend Finder bordering on a meltdown, Chat took that moment to rush them again. They turned in surprise, and his staff slammed into the launcher, sending it flying into the air. “NO!” Spinning around, Chat landed a kick to the stunned Akuma’s stomach, throwing them onto their back. He readied himself to launch into the air to catch the akumatized object, only to stop in surprise again.

The launcher that had been launched up into the air was already caught, but not by Ladybug or himself.

Flying overhead on pink wings was a fox girl who was wearing a rather pretty dress. She smiled down at him and waved before gliding over to where the tanuki was. The girl had managed to get further down the street and didn’t even look winded as she casually waved. As the fox landed, the wings simply melted down into her back and disappeared like they were never there in the first place, and the two high fived. “Umaku iku to itta.”

Before Chat could really process what was happening, he was tackled to the ground by an enraged Friend Finder. “I DON’T NEED THAT TOY! GIVE ME YOUR MIRACULOUS YOU WORTHLESS CAT!”

The two wrestled on the ground, Friend Finder continually trying to reach for his ring. _Just what is up with them!?_ The two rolled over and over until Chat reeled his head back and landed a solid headbutt, dazing Friend Finder. With the Akuma stunned again, he kicked them off and hopped to his feet. He wasted no words as he went to the Akuma and pulled them to a light pole. “I don’t have any handcuffs, but this ought to do.”

In less than a minute, Friend Finder was tied to a pole with their own outfit, and Chat smiled at his handiwork. At least, until his ring started beeping and he saw that he only had three minutes to his transformation left. “Now, let’s just hope that Ladybug shows up soon.”

“Chat Noir!” Turning around, Chat saw a familiar face start rushing over to him, phone in hand. 

Alya was every bit the Lois Lane to his Lady’s Superman, and he had a wry smirk at the thought. The reporter-to-be wasted no time as she got a recording ready to start. “Is it alright if I ask you a few questions for The Ladyblog?”

Another beep from his ring made him glance at it for a moment before he raised his hands. “Sorry, but I don’t have much time left, and there’s still some clean up to do.” He gave his usual salute and ran off to where the two animal girls were standing. Slowing down as he approached, he cleared his throat and got their attention. He pointed at the launcher and held out one of his hands with a raised eyebrow.

The tanuki was glaring at him suspiciously, before she was nudged by the fox, and handed over the launcher. Chat nodded and smiled. “Arigatō.”

“Sukunakutomo kare wa sono kenri o teniireta,” the tanuki muttered, getting an eye roll from the fox. With a shake of her head, she looked off to the side and motioned for someone to come over. 

Chat was surprised when Kagami walked over. “Hello, Chat Noir.”

 _Okay, Adrien, play it cool. It’s just one of the few people close to you in life. No biggie. I mean, you hid the fact you’re a superhero from Father. Not that much different when you think about it._ He could see Alya out of the corner of his eye, phone already recording everything. _Just... be thoroughly professional. Like Ladybug!... Yeah, I’m doomed._

He really was, because Adrien and Kagami had a certain level of trust going on, and he didn’t want to break it while in costume. After a brief moment of panic, Chat cleared his throat and put his usual smirk back on his face. “Tsurugi, right? I have a favor to ask.” He pointed over his shoulder to where the Akuma was still tied up and rubbed his head. “Could you and your friends here keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t run? I gotta go recharge real fast, and I don’t know how long Ladybug or I will be.”

Kagami bowed slightly with a smile. “You have our word, Chat Noir.” She turned to the other two and motioned to the still bound Akuma. “Ladybug ga tōchaku suru made, akuma ni megahanasenai ka to tazuneta.”

The tanuki raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Honto? Dōshite-sō suru no?” She threw her arms wildly towards Chat and flailed for a moment. “Kare wa sukoshi mae ni watashi o tsukamaeyou to shite ita!”

Kagami just shrugged with a smirk on her face. “Kore wa kare no shinrai o eru tame no hōhō kamo shiremasen.” With a drawn-out groan, the tanuki threw her head back and walked over to where the Akuma was, and sat down on the curb next to them pouting, earning a snarl from the incapacitated villain. When the tanuki just growled back, the fox girl was trying to keep her laughter hidden behind a hand, but her muzzle was making it hard to hide the smirk on her lips. Turning to Chat again, Kagami looked... amused? That was something Adrien didn’t even see all that often. “She’s suspicious of you but agreed.”

Chat nodded and readied his staff. “Understandable. I shouldn’t be very long.” And with that, he launched himself up and over the roof, bounding a few houses down before dropping into an alley and transforming back into Adrien.

Plagg floated up from the ring, taking a piece of cheese as it was offered. “Kid, this is really weird, and from me, that’s saying something.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow as he looked at Plagg swallow the cheese whole. “What do you mean?”

Plagg rarely got any form of serious, unless it involved trying to persuade Adrien to stop being so lovestruck and just go for Marinette. So the frown on the kwami’s face made Adrien worried. “Kid, I’ll be completely frank with you. Never, in all my existence, have I seen a human-like those girls. Not even when Tikki was ‘experimenting’ a few millennia ago.”

“Really?” Adrien started to walk to the mouth of the alley, and Plagg flew into his shirt collar. “Never?”

“Never. Now hurry up and transform so we can help Ladybug purify the Akuma.”

To say hearing Plagg actually impatient to transform made Adrien nervous would have been an understatement. Nodding and making sure nobody was going to peek into the alleyway, Adrien headed back in and found a dark spot out of sight. “Right. Plagg, Claws Out!”

* * *

“So... What is it you want to know?” Ladybug asked, eyeing the wolf-man suspiciously.

He didn’t even flinch as he matched her gaze. “Where’s the tanuki.”

 _The tanuki?_ Ladybug kept the surprise off of her face as she raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I know?”

The wolf’s eyes narrowed as he took a step forward. “I can smell her on you. Now, where is she?”

Ladybug grimaced and held her ground. Looks like the wolf features aren’t just for show. The two stood a meter, barely, from each other before Ladybug raised a hand. “Just because I encountered her, doesn’t mean I know where she is.” He stopped and raised an eyebrow himself, letting Ladybug continue. “I spotted her earlier when she accidentally ran headfirst into a civilian before rushing off. I had helped the same civilian find a place to hide, which is probably why her scent is on me.”

His eyes narrowed, and she could hear a faint growl. “If that was what happened, you’d have another scent on you as well.” Before either could say anything, a loud boom came from the distance, making both of them turn. 

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she paled under her suit. _Shoot! The Akuma!_

The wolf looked off at the explosion with those pale eyes before sighing. “Michiru...” Turning to Ladybug, he put his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know why you were lying, but right now, I couldn’t care less. Just stay out of my way.”

He turned to walk away, but Ladybug stopped him. “Before you go, I have one question of my own.” He raised an eyebrow, and Ladybug crossed her arms. “Who are you, and are you working with Hawkmoth?”

They stared at each other for a moment before he raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Hawkmoth?”

Ladybug just stood there, blinking, and he shook his head. As he jumped off the edge of the roof and started leaping away, Ladybug ran after him and pulled out her yo-yo. “Hey! You didn’t answer me-” With a frustrated noise from the heroine, she launched into the air herself and started swinging down the streets. “I’ve got to get to the Akuma, fast!”

But as she swung, her thoughts caught up to her as they usually did. _How... how could that man not know who Hawkmoth is? Everyone in Paris knows._ Another explosion broke her from her thoughts, and she doubled her efforts. She’d have time to sort out the mess that today had been turning into later.

She had an Akuma to purify.

* * *

Back with the subdued Friend Finder, Michiru, Nazuna, and Kagami were busy passing time and waiting for Ladybug to show up and do her thing... or something. Michiru still didn’t know what she was waiting for. All she did know at that moment, was this “Friend Finder” person was really getting on her nerves. The whole time they were tied up, they just wouldn’t stop talking.

And then there was the other problem.

This auburn haired girl that showed up after everything was done kept taking photos and asking Kagami questions a mile a minute. “Sont-ils de nouveaux détenteurs miraculeux? Doit-on s'attendre à ce que de nouveaux héros rejoignent l'équipe? Quels sont leurs pouvoirs? Comment se fait-il qu'ils ne parlent pas français?”

Kagami for her part looked as impassive as ever, but Michiru could smell how she was actually feeling. There was a nervousness hanging around her, but she also was a little annoyed. “Je suis désolé, mais je ne peux pas répondre à cela. Tout ce que je sais, c'est qu'ils ne constituent pas une menace pour Paris.”

Michiru’s tail twitched as she sighed and stood up. “Hey, Kagami?”

Turning from the girl and her incessant questions, Kagami raised an eyebrow. “Hm?” 

Michiru pointed at the girl and sighed. “Who is this? You’re looking kind of annoyed the longer she’s talking.”

Kagami’s eyes widened for a moment. “My apologies.” She turned to the girl for a second and held up a hand. “Un instant, Alya.” The girl paused and nodded, lowering her phone but not putting it away. Kagami turned back to Nazuna and Michiru and gestured to the girl. “This is Alya Césaire. She’s a... friend of Marinette, and from what I was told, an aspiring journalist.”

Nazuna perked up a bit and looked at Alya. “A friend of Marinette? The same one that was being hunted down?”

“Yes.” Kagami glared at the Akuma and sighed before focusing on the conversation again. “At first, I thought she might have been the Akuma victim, but seeing as she’s right here, that clearly isn’t the case.”

“Wait, what!?” Michiru blinked in shock as she looked between the reporter and the Akuma. “Why would you think that!? I thought you said she was a friend?”

Kagami’s silence held for a few moments, before she turned away from the two and back to Alya, but glanced over her shoulder. “We have some _strained_ history with each other. I’ll explain more later.”

A thud came from beside them, and all four girls turned to see what had landed near them. Two pairs of eyes widened in surprise, and the other two in joy. “Shirou!” Michiru cheered before tackling him, much to his surprise. “I’m so glad you’re here. Paris is insane!”

That was until Shirou saw the tied up Akuma and both Nazuna and Michiru in their beast forms. With a slight growl under his breath, he walked right up to the two girls and picked Michiru up by the back of her coat, glaring in annoyance. “Michiru, what did you do this time?”

Michiru puffed her chest and smiled, which looked ridiculous as she hung from Shirou’s grasp. “I did good, dad. I did good.”

“I’m not your dad.” 

Nazuna shrugged a bit and held out both hands. “Well... you’re our social worker. So close enough?”

Shirou looked over at the group in front of him, taking note of the two he wasn’t familiar with. As Alya had stars practically shining in her eyes, and Kagami looked at him in surprise, he just sighed and pinched the bridge of his muzzle.

How did he keep getting into these messes?

And they better have families already!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry Shirou, Alya and Kagami don't need any adopting.


	6. Panic, Rematches, and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small mistake gives the Akuma a second chance to strike!

Ladybug rushed through the air towards where the explosions had been coming from, panic warring its way to making itself known in her eyes. She found it all too convenient that they had stopped so shortly after she’d left to find any comfort in the silence.

She had to figure out what had happened.

She had to know that everyone was okay.

She had to make sure  _ Chat _ was okay.

Startled a bit by the last thought, Ladybug landed on a rooftop and started running. She didn’t have much time to ponder it, as her worry was somewhat abated by the very same hero leaping up from an alleyway and catching up to her. “Evening, My Lady. You seem to be in a bit of a rush.”

Ladybug scowled for a moment before sighing as she stopped her run. “Chat, now isn’t the time for jokes! There’s an Akuma still out-”

“About that.” Chat pulled out the launcher from behind his back and handed it over to Ladybug. “Friend Finder is currently tied to a light post. All that’s left is to purify the Akuma.”

Ladybug fumbled a bit as she was handed the launcher and blinked in confusion. “R-really?” She just looked between the device and her partner with a look of surprise.

A slightly hurt smile flashed across Chat’s face, but he shrugged it away before she could notice. “Well, My Lady, I did have some help.” Ladybug’s eyebrow rose as she looked at him. “Remember our tanuki friend? She helped me with distracting the Akuma long enough that I was able to subdue them.”

“Wait, did you say she  _ helped _ you?” Ladybug frowned in thought as she put a hand to her chin. “Interesting.”

Chat looked back to where the fight had been with a frown himself. “I’m starting to wonder if they’re actually being affected by Hawkmoth at all. There’s no way he’d willingly let anyone go against him.”

“You’re right.” Ladybug pondered for a moment as she pulled out her yo-yo. “The wolf from earlier didn’t know who Hawkmoth was either...”

“Wait, you met him?” Chat looked surprised.

“More like he tackled me into a roof.” Ladybug grimaced as she started to twirl the launcher for a moment. “Now, let’s get this over with.” Ladybug took the launcher in both hands and brought it down on her knee. The launcher split in two with a crunch, pieces of hardened foam littering the ground.

And nothing coming out of it.

“It wasn’t the launcher!?” Chat reeled and looked back to where he’d come from with panic.

Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder, and his attention snapped to the serious look on her face. “Chat, this isn’t the time to panic. We should head over to where you left Friend Finder to keep them from hurting anyone.” Both heroes rushed off towards where Friend Finder had been left, a sense of urgency bleeding into their movements.

An urgency that affected none more than it did Chat.

* * *

Shirou had dealt with many situations across his long life. Terrorists, assassins, muggers, murderers; you name it, he’s probably fought it.

But this... was new.

“So you’re telling me, you’re all guarding someone who’s been possessed by dark magic, and waiting for these superheroes to show up to purify them, with absolutely no means of stopping them should they break free of the only bindings they have?” Shirou asked the four assembled teenagers with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

Michiru and Nazuna both looked a bit sheepish as they shared a glance, and the former started rubbing the back of her head. “Well, when you put it that way...” 

Alya just looked confused until Kagami translated, in which confusion transitioned into being a little bit indignant. “Je ne vois pas quel est le problème.”

Shirou felt his eye twitch as he turned to her. “Le problème est qu'ils pourraient se libérer à tout moment et mettre votre vie en danger.”

Michiru’s eyes lit up as she gasped dramatically. “Oh my god, you speak French!?”

Shirou gave her a deadpan stare before sighing and pinching his muzzle again. “Michiru I’m over a thousand years old. Is it that surprising that I know more than one language?” Alya didn’t get a translation for that one, as Kagami’s eyes were about to fall out of her head. Well, as close as they could get with her. 

So maybe a centimeter wider than usual.

As they kept talking, Friend Finder was messing with the bindings on their arms. It was as a feral grin started to spread across their face that their arms came free, and they reached a hand into their raggedy cloak and pulled out a blue sphere. Shirou’s ear twitched, and he quickly looked over to see the blue ball landing near his feet.

The explosion sent all five of them flying back. Michiru and Nazuna landed against the brick wall of the building behind them, while Kagami and Alya were sent down the sidewalk. Shirou, however, had been standing practically on top of the ball when it landed, and he was sent flying into the air, landing twenty meters away with a sickening thud.

Friend Finder just laughed and started to walk over to where Nazuna and Michiru were. They pulled out a spray can from behind their back and started making a glob of foam on the ground, before reaching in and pulling out a brand new launcher. 

Michiru got ready to fight back but noticed something was off.

She stared into Friend Finder’s uncovered eye, and there was a shift. If only for a moment, burning red was replaced with a terrifying blue. The change even made Friend Finder flinch before they growled and gripped their head. A purple mask in the shape of a butterfly formed over their eyes before the blue changed back into red. “Fille stupides! Tu n’as pas ton mot à dire sur ce que je fais!” Friend Finder hastily shoved the spray can back under their cloak as they turned to the four stunned teenagers.

Alya hesitantly stepped back away from the Akuma, horror in her eyes. “L’akuma... se bat tout seul?”

Nazuna looked at Kagami, and the fencer shook her head. “I’m not sure what is happening.”

Michiru’s eyes moved past Friend Finder and landed on Shirou. His body had a small pool of blood starting to form around it, and she gulped.  _ Come on, Shirou. Get up! _ The Akuma however, kept their advance, making the four girls back into the building behind them, back to the glass display. “We need to get out of here...”

A snarl from behind Friend Finder made Michiru and Nazuna perk up with a smile.

“Hey.” Shirou’s hand grabbed Friend Finder by the back of the head and lifted them off the ground. “Est-ce le mieux que vous puissiez faire?” Friend Finder kicked and struggled as they dangled in the air. Shirou reached behind them and pulled out the can of spray foam, before dropping the Akuma to the ground. The moment they landed, Shirou’s foot fell onto their back, and His free hand grabbed their arm as he pinned them to the ground. “Rester.”

Michiru’s eyes were filled with smug satisfaction, as was her smile. She leaned forward and got in Friend Finder’s face, relishing in their irritation. “I have no idea what he said, but you’re not going anywhere.”

That was when Friend Finder punched Michiru in the muzzle.

“OW!” Michiru flailed as Nazuna and Kagami grabbed onto her and started to pull the two apart. Alya ran over and stomped on the Akuma’s hand, making them yowl in pain. Michiru glared and scooted away from the villain. “Who does that!?” Friend Finder just snarled in response.

Shirou’s foot got just a touch heavier on the villain’s back, making them wince. “Essayez à nouveau quelque chose comme ça. Je te défie.” He looked to Michiru and frowned. “Are you alright?”

“The only part of me that’s hurt is my pride.” Michiru pouted and hissed a bit as she let go of her nose. A small trickle of blood started to trail down and dripped onto the sidewalk. “And maybe my nose.” Alya reached into her pocket and pulled out some tissues, handing them over. “Thank you.”

“Pas de problème.” 

Nazuna frowned as she watched Michiru stuff a tissue up her nostril. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Michiru waved a hand and shot Nazuna a quick smile. “I’m fine! I’ve had worse than this.” Kagami noticed how Nazuna stiffened a bit but didn’t ask. 

It wasn’t long after that they all noticed two more teenagers, this time in spandex, land nearby.

* * *

Ladybug dropped from her swing and found that she had more surprised faces in stock than she’d known. She had been expecting that she’d have to figure out a way to save a possibly large number of hostages.

She wasn’t expecting the wolfman from earlier to be pinning the Akuma down with his foot. More so, she noticed how there was now a fox girl involved, as was both Kagami and Alya. All three of them were helping the tanuki-  _ Michiru, _ get to her feet, and there were quickly reddening tissues sticking out of her nose.  _ It just had to be Alya again. Why doesn’t she listen when I say this is going to get her hurt one of these days!? _

Chat, equally surprised, looked over at her with a shrug. “Well, I think it’s safe to assume they’re not with Hawkmoth.”

She glanced over at Chat and nodded before the two walked over to where the wolfman was standing. He was still pinning the Akuma with his foot, glowering down at them. His turning to look at her made her stop for a moment before she steeled her nerves. “You never answered my question earlier. Who-?”

“Ladybug!” Alya practically teleported over to where they were, and Ladybug had to blink a bit to shake away the shock. “Where were you during the Akuma attack? Is there a reason you left Chat on his own earlier? Who are these new heroes? Is their appearance a side effect of using a Miraculous?” The last question sounded slightly nervous, but considering she’d been Rena Rouge, it was understandable.

Chat gently put his hand over her phone and pushed it down. “We’ll answer any questions you have  _ after _ the akuma has been purified.” Blushing a bit, Alya backed away and stepped out of their way. It didn’t stop her eager eyes from locking onto the two the entire time. 

The wolfman held up a can of spray foam that was off-colored, before tossing it to Ladybug. “I take it you were looking for this?”

Ladybug looked at the can in her hands with a hint of surprise, before glancing at the Akuma. “I was, but could you please remove your foot from them? Once the Akuma is purified, they’ll go back to normal, and I don’t want a civilian to be injured as a result.”

Lifting his foot off of their back, the wolf nodded before Ladybug handed the can to Chat, who used cataclysm on it. As the can fell into dust, a purple butterfly flew out. “No more evildoing for you, little Akuma.” With a flick of her yo-yo, the Akuma was captured and purified. “Bye Bye, little butterfly.”

A purple cloud of smoke washed over Friend Finder, making Michiru’s group jump slightly. The cloud widened until not one, but two people were left on the ground, rubbing their heads. Both Rose and Juleka were groaning and disoriented.

Rose gasped as she looked around and stared at her hands. “Was... Was I akumatized?”

Juleka put a hand on Rose’s, and when she looked over, the two hugged as Rose started to cry into Juleka’s shoulder.

Ladybug walked over and put a hand on Rose’s shoulder, making Rose look up to her. When she had both of their attention, she gave them a comforting smile. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“We... we were in class when the last Akuma alert had gone off. Everyone was getting worried when Marinette went missing, and... And Lila said something about how suspicious it was, and how she could be working with Hawkmoth.” Juleka’s grip tightened a bit around Rose. “I... I just can’t believe...”

Ladybug shook her head and helped the two stand. “I can guarantee to both of you, Marinette is not working for Hawkmoth.” At their shocked reaction, she continued. “One of the reasons it took me so long to get here was because I had to help Marinette hide somewhere far more reasonable than where she’d managed to squeeze herself.” Ladybug couldn’t tell what she hated more at that moment. How she had to lie or how she was getting  _ better _ at it. Marinette getting stuck somewhere was something that Rose and Juleka would believe, considering it had happened before when she was ten.

Though she since made them swear never to tell a soul about the Haunted House Incident.

Rose hesitantly looked up from Juleka’s shoulder, “R-really?” 

“Really.” Ladybug stepped back a bit and pulled out her yo-yo, before tossing it into the air. “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

Michiru’s eyes widened at the sight of thousands of ladybugs flying through the air. Everywhere they passed, the damages caused by the fight were being repaired. When they passed over her face, she had to blink in surprise at the sudden lack of pain. Pulling the tissue out, she gasped and beamed at the fox. “Nazuna! Hana ga naotta!”

“Hontōni!?” The fox girl (Nazuna?) grabbed Michiru’s head and narrowed her eyes as she inspected for any injuries. “Sugoi...”

Turning away from the two, Ladybug went back to Rose and Juleka. “You two should head back to the school and let them know you’re okay. I’ll go and let Marinette know it’s safe.” As the two walked off, her earrings beeped, as did Chat’s ring. 

The wolf raised an eyebrow at the two as they walked off, but his attention mainly fell on Michiru and Nazuna. “Daijōbu?” Nazuna looked over and gave him a nod, making a cute ‘un’ noise as she did.

Chat put a hand on his chest and groaned a bit.

Rolling her eyes, Ladybug lightly smacked him on the arm. “This isn’t an anime. You’re not going to have a cute fox girlfriend. Besides, don’t you already have one now?” As Chat sputtered, Ladybug walked over towards the group and frowned. “I’ll ask one more time. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The wolf looked at her with a raised eyebrow before facing her. “So you don’t know how we were brought here.” He sighed a bit under his breath before shifting back into human form. “My name is Oogami Shirou. I believe that we have a lot to discuss.” Behind him, Nazuna and Michiru both shifted to human form, with Michiru complaining as she did.

Ladybug smiled until her earrings beeped again. “I would love to, but I’m unfortunately running out of time. Can I meet you tonight at the Eiffel Tower?”

Shirou examined her earrings for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

With a nod in return, Ladybug spun her yo-yo, and Chat readied his staff. “Bug out!”

* * *

After they had all left, a gloved hand reached into the garbage and pulled out the bloody tissue. Strikingly red eyes scanned over the blood before a chuckle escaped the individual. “A roundabout way of getting what I needed, but I suppose this works.” The tissue was swiftly placed in a test tube and pocketed as they walked away. “Let’s hope the sample is large enough to make a usable dose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy frijoles! 100 kudos! You all are awesome!


	7. Parents, Residency, and Plotting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette sees the panic she caused by disappearing, Kagami invites Michiru and Shioru to join Nazuna at her place, and someone in the shadows does science.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over the course of writing this chapter, my cat has smugly wiggled at me, while laying on her back and sticking her tongue out. On top of that, I was commissioned to do an art piece for a DnD group! This means that chapters may take just a _bit_ longer than my usual one a week. I may have until Halloween to complete the group picture, but it's still six characters and NONE of them are the same species, while also being in costume. I won't give any more details than that, as it is a private matter that was brought to me directly. Do let me know what you think of the chapter, and what potential stories you think Michiru might use to embarrass Nazuna. Or maybe she got to see that picture of Sequin pants Shirou. Who knows.

It thankfully did not take very long for Ladybug to find a safe place to transform. Stepping out of the alleyway, Marinette glanced both ways before rushing down the road back towards her school. She was about a block away when she could see her parents headed back to the bakery, looking distraught and worried.  _ Oh, I am so grounded. _ Marinette’s run started to slow down as she got closer to her parents. When she slowed to the point she was walking, Sabine and Tom both noticed her and froze. Barely a heartbeat passed before her parents rushed over to her, and Marinette was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

“Oh, Marinette, we were so worried!” Tom released Marinette enough that her feet were on the ground again, and moved his hands to her shoulders. “We closed the shop the moment we heard you were missing.”

“I understand you get scared by the Akumas, but you can’t just vanish like that, Marinette.” Her mother chided, even as she kept hugging her. “If you ever feel the need to hide like this again, please just come home.”

Marinette sniffled as she wrapped her arms around her mother. “I’m sorry I made you worry.”

Sabine sighed as she ran a hand through Marinette’s hair. “I know. You would never do something like this on purpose. All I ask is that you remember that there are people who worry for you.” Stepping out of the hug, she held Marinette’s hands and smiled. “Now, let’s go home. I’ll inform the police and school that we found you, and you can rest up in your room.”

“Huh?” Marinette blinked in surprise, before looking at the school. “But it’s not that late... Is it?”

Tom started guiding the two back towards the bakery and shook his head. “Marinette, the principal understood if you needed time away after what happened. You were excused for the rest of the day.” 

_ Mr. Damocles... showing a shred of competency?  _ Marinette looked up at the sky with a raised eyebrow.  _ I don’t  _ see _ any flying pigs, but they could be elsewhere. Maybe he was bribed? Hmmm... _ A glance at her dad’s slightly tensed arms answered her unasked question.

“Girl, there you are!” The family stopped and looked over, seeing a disheveled Alya staring at the two with wide eyes. Alya soon rushed over and practically tackled Marinette into a hug. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

_ You didn’t look too worried when recording the Akuma. _ Marinette sighed and gave her friend a hug in return. “I’m so sorry, Alya. I promise I’ll at least tell you where I’m-”

A finger was pressed to her lips as Alya stepped back from the hug. “Nevermind that.” Pulling out her phone, Alya started to beam as she searched through her files. “You won’t  _ believe _ what happened today! This is almost as big as when Ladybug herself arrived!”

Marinette heard panting and looked around Alya to see a tired Nino stumbling up to them, before resting his hands on his knees. “Alya, calm down!” He took a few more wheezing breaths before straightening up and making sure his hat was on straight. “I’m as happy as you are that we found her, but let Mari have some breathing room.”

Alya’s laugh was slightly worrying, in Marinette’s opinion, and she held up her phone. “Not a chance, Nino! Three new heroes were helping Ladybug. THREE! And I know what they look like as civilians!”

Marinette felt like her head was going to explode, but at the same time, her heart was swelling as well.  _ I don’t think I realized how long it’s been since I’ve seen Alya this excited. Maybe things are finally going to start going back to normal. _

“Hey, guys!” Marinette’s peaceful thought was unintentionally shattered as Adrien came up to the group and looked between them. His happy smile fell into a concerned tilt of his head as he got all of their attention. “Did I miss something?”

Sighing to herself, Marinette felt a bittersweet bite in her chest.  _ Well, almost normal. _

Nino walked over to him and threw his arms into the air. “Dude, where were you? There were like, two akumas today.”

Adrien blinked in surprise, before looking baffled. “Two?”

Alya raised a hand and was grinning at the two. “One, actually, but that’s not important. There were new heroes involved with the fight! Turns out the first ‘akuma’ that showed up at the school was actually a new hero that made everyone panic on accident.”

Raising an eyebrow, Adrien walked over to see for himself. “Really?”

Alya’s phone was shoved in his face, where there was a slightly blurry picture of a certain tanuki. “That’s right! She couldn’t explain herself cause it turns out she and the other new heroes are from Japan! The only reason I know that was because I was lucky enough to have Kagami translate for me.” Alya flipped through the pictures as she kept going, showing all three of them in multiple photos. “They don’t even need a Miraculous to transform! They just grew animal ears and tails and were covered head to toe in fur! Even their facial features were completely changed! One straight up had a wolf head!”

“Wait, so you’re getting really excited over animal people?” Adrien asked with a raised eyebrow, making Alya pause and blush a bit as she stammered. Unfortunately, Adrien had one more question for her.

“Alya.... are you a furry?”

The silence that rang from that question lasted all of three seconds before Alya was grabbing Adrien by the head and pulling him to look him in the eye. “Who taught Sunshine Child what a furry is? Was it Nathaniel? Was it  _ Nino? _ ”

Nino raised both his hands defensively as he backed up a step. “Don’t look at me! I’ve been doing as you asked and keeping him from the dark side of the web!”

Marinette helped Adrien free his head from Alya’s grasp, and the model rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward grin. “Actually, I kinda found out on my own when I was at home.”

Alya’s face drained of color as she gasped. “WHY, ADRIEN!? Why would you corrupt yourself in such a manner!? You were Sunshine. SUNSHINE!” Nino rolled his eyes as his girlfriend dramatically fell to her knees. “My OTP is tainted.”

Adrien just looked at her with confusion. “It wasn’t that bad.” A smile started to cross his face as he thought back. “I really liked watching that old Robin Hood movie!”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips. “You mean the Disney one?”

With a smile that rivaled the sun, Adrien grinned back at her. “Yeah! I thought Robin was pretty cool, stealing from the rich to save the poor and all that. Kinda makes me wish he’d go after my dad. Oh, The Cat Returns was another good one I found!”

Before Adrien’s rant could go farther, Nino cleared his throat.“So Adrien.” he clapped his hands together in front of his lips, before pointing them at Adrien. “What do you think a furry is?”

Adrien raised an eyebrow and shared a glance with Marinette before shrugging. “Someone who’s a fan of anthropomorphic animals in cartoons? I mean, it’s not that bad... is it?”

Marinette looked completely resigned with her deadpan stare.  _ How can Someone be as academically smart as he is, and not know so much? I mean, I’m glad he finally learned some, but... still!  _

Alya got back up and pulled Nino into a hug. “Oh, sweet merciful heavens, he’s still pure.” 

Nino just patted her head, accepting his fate. At Adrien’s confused face, he just shook his head for a moment. “Just... don’t dig too deep into it, Dude. It’s not worth it.”

Shrugging again, Adrien adjusted his bag and rubbed the back of his head. “If you say so, Nino.”

Tom and Sabine’s laughter brought them back to reality, and Tom proceeded to continue ushering Marinette down the road. “Okay, kids, you three need to head to class. Marinette may be excused, but you’re still expected to attend.”

Waving to her friends, Marinette walked just between her parents before heading to her room once they were home. Rather than do any homework or design, she pondered the situation with the three newcomers.  _ If anything, I can at least use this time to think of some questions to ask. _

* * *

As they walked down the streets of Paris, Michiru glanced up at Shirou. “So.. what now?” He and Nazuna both looked at her for a moment before she shrugged. “Well, we’re kinda stuck here in Paris, we don’t exactly have any money or a place to stay. So...where do we go from here?”

“Actually,” Kagami smiled a bit as she came up behind them, “I may be able to convince my mother to allow you to stay at our home for a time.” Her smile fell into a thoughtful frown as she put a hand to her chin. “Though, she may ask for some form of compensation in return.”

Shirou looked at both Nazuna and Michiru, before grumbling to himself. He would have been fine just finding a bench to sleep on. It wouldn’t have been the first time, and would likely be far from the last, but unlike himself, neither of them were immune to dying. More importantly, the man who wrecked the medical center wanted these two for something, and he hadn’t caught that man yet. “What’s your name?”

“Tsurugi Kagami,” she bowed towards Shirou. “You have my gratitude for ensuring our safety earlier.”

Shirou nodded a bit and put his hands in his pockets. “Lead the way then, Ms. Tsurugi.”

Michiru felt her jaw drop a touch and looked up at Shirou in surprise. “Wait, that’s it? No grumpy half-hearted dismissal?” His gaze moved down to her, and he raised an eyebrow. 

“We’re in a foreign country through means that bypassed all forms of immigration and border patrol. If something happened that got us under scrutiny, we’d be deported. With the perp who brought us here still at large, being stuck in transit between France and Japan would be detrimental, as it would allow him to wander free and terrorize more people.” Shirou’s eyes moved back to where he was going, and he frowned. “And I’m also interested in what these ‘superheroes’ have to say. They may have a way to send us back to Anima City that would help keep us under the radar and avoid any unnecessary trouble.”

Michiru stared at him for a moment before blinking. “Wow... that’s the most I’ve heard you say at once.” Nazuna’s facepalm echoed behind her, but Michiru missed it entirely.

Shirou deadpanned at her comment before sighing. “That’s because before now, you never listened.”

‘Wha- HEY!” Michiru blushed and pouted as her tail bushed behind her. “I listen... Sometimes...”

Nazuna smiled a bit as she skipped ahead a bit and turned around to walk backward in front of Michiru. “To be fair, there are some moments I remember where I’m glad you didn’t listen.”

Michiru paused for a moment before returning the smile and nodding. “Yep.”

Kagami looked over at the two and raised an eyebrow. “I take it that when we arrive back at my home, you two have some stories to tell?”

The two looked at each other before Michiru started grinning mischievously. “Well... I guess we could tell some stories of what it’s like living in Anima City.”

Nazuna paled a bit before glaring at Michiru. “You are not telling her any of the embarrassing stories!”

“What? You’d expect me to do that?” Michiru feigned innocence before putting on a stone-like face. “I just want to tell her of the blessings of the Church of the Sil-” She choked as a blazing-red faced Nazuna grabbed her into a headlock, glaring daggers into her friend’s skull the whole time.

Kagami could tell this would be an impressive conversion to be sure.

* * *

The clicking of a keyboard echoed through the lab as several images flashed across the screens—the man at the controls humming a little ditty as he swayed back and forth. In a glass vial next to him, a bloody tissue sat in a solution, blood slowly being pulled from the fabric. “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~!” Taking the vial, he removed the tissue and placed the solution into a bulky machine. Turning back to the computer, he hit enter and watched as a program started. 

Leaving the computer, he spun his chair around and rolled to a window on the opposing side of the room. “Medicine, go down~. Me-di-cine go down!”

Behind the glass, a second machine was busy at work, mixing various chemical compounds together. The final product of the mixes was injected into a square canister before being carted away down a conveyor. “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down~!”

He picked up the canister and held it up, examining the glowing pink liquid with a feral grin.

“ **In the most** **_delightful_ ** **way~!** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, apologies to anyone who got multiple notifications that the story updated or something. There was something going wonky the first upload, so I had to delete the original chapter 7 and reupload it. All's good now.


	8. Sleepovers, Discussions, and Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru, Nazuna, and Kagami have a sleepover. Meanwhile, Marinette has a talk with Tikki, and Plagg messes with Adrien.
> 
> Edit: Forgot to add this to the notes and such cause I was running late for work.  
> References in this chapter include the story "Sandcastle Showdown" by LuckyZiri, who can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyZiri/pseuds/LuckyZiri  
> and other incidents are references to the story "BNA Incorrect Quotes" by AlexVifor, who can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexVifor/pseuds/AlexVifor  
> Both stories, though one is more a collection of memes staring the BNA cast, are really good and fun. Please check them out and show them some love!

Once the sun had begun to set, Kagami found herself surprised at what was happening. It had started as an innocent comment from Nazuna about how they were all sleeping over at her home. Then, Michiru took it a step farther, suggesting that they have a sleepover. Kagami hadn't expected such a request to have any ground to stand. Her schedule was strict. Nowhere near the level of Adrien, but still binding. However, when Michiru and Nazuna talked with her mother about the offer, Kagami's jaw nearly fell to the floor.

Tomoe Tsurugi had approved of her staying awake past curfew.

It was only for two hours, but that was impressive regardless.

This was why she was currently sitting on a pile of pillows, with Michiru and Nazuna both lounging in Kagami's bedroom. They were animatedly chatting about some of their misadventures from Anima City.

"There was this one time that I challenged Nazuna to a sandcastle contest." Michiru puffed her chest and smirked. "I totally won."

Nazuna rolled her eyes and smirked. "Really? I remember Shirou voting that  _ I _ won that one."

"His choice was biased!" Michiru pouted and crossed her arms, making Nazuna laugh. "And besides, there was that time you decided to prank Shirou using memes, and he got you back."

"How was I supposed to know he was up to date on memes!? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was when he did that? I was legitimately worried he'd just committed murder when brought in that body bag!" Nazuna blushed as she flailed her arm at Michiru, just barely missing the cackling girl as she leaned away. "Marie was recording the whole thing. I never should have made her my manager."

"Yeah, that was kinda dumb, considering we both know she's a hustler by nature." Michiru looked over at Kagami, but stopped smiling and raised an eyebrow when she saw how stiffly the girl was sitting. "Hey, you alright?"

Kagami jumped a bit before looking away. "S-Sorry. I've never done anything like this before. Up until recently, my schedule has made it hard to have friends, so this is very new to me."

Nazuna and Michiru's eyes practically bugged out of their heads. "Seriously!?" Kagami nodded, and Nazuna put a hand to her chest. "That sounds pretty lonely."

"It was." Kagami nodded sadly, but there was a small smile on her lips. "That thankfully changed as of late. The incident that happened to make us friends was rather... intense, but I am happy that I can call Marinette a friend, as well as for the minor amount of freedom from my mother." It wasn't like she could just tell the two about the time she got to be a hero for a day, but at least she could reminisce about the aftermath's results.

Nazuna rolled on the bed a bit and looked at Kagami with interest. "Can you tell us about her?"

Perking up a bit, Michiru practically bounced in place as she grinned. "Yeah, I only really ran into her when I was looking for Nazuna, and even then, I couldn't really talk to her. She seemed nice!"

Kagami smiled a bit as she looked down at her hands. "Marinette is... She is possibly the kindest and most selfless person in all of Paris. She has gone out of her way for the sake of her friends more often than not. She also has a brilliant mind to compliment her many accomplishments." The smile slowly faded as she started to get lost in her thoughts. "Though, that is not to say she has no shortcomings. Her confidence could use improvement, and she has lately been growing distant to those around her." Looking up, Kagami sighed. "To be honest, I worry about her. It's been clear that Something has her stressed, but she refuses to talk about it. She got better when Césaire stopped listening to that liar, but only a little."

Michiru hummed in thought and rubbed her chin. "Any ideas what it could be?"

"I had thought before that it was due to my relationship with Adrien, a classmate of hers whom she has feelings for." Kagami frowned as her eyes narrowed. "However, I have already jumped to conclusions once before, and do not wish to do so again." She glanced to the side as a particular thought came to mind. "It does not help that- that I am positive he does not reciprocate my own feelings."

Both girls looked at each other before turning back to Kagami. "What makes you say that?"

"There was a moment where we almost kissed, but-" Kagami looked to the side and sighed. "He hesitated, and nothing came of it."

The group sat in silence for a time, just letting the words hang in the air. Michiru rolled over onto her back and looked at Kagami upside down. "If he doesn't feel the same way back, then why are you guys still dating?"

Kagami's eyes closed as she shook her head. "It is... complicated. His father rarely gives him any freedom, even less than what  _ I _ receive from my mother."

Nazuna raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "So, you're using each other?" Kagami glared at her before Nazuna raised her hands in defense. "I'm not trying to be rude, but that's what it sounds like. Both of you are continuing a charade just so you can leave your homes."

Her glare shifting into surprise, Kagami looked down to her knees and frowned. "Am I...?" A furry finger tapped on her knee, and Kagami looked up to see Michiru in her Tanuki form, giving her a sympathetic smile. 

Nazuna rolled her eyes and shifted as well, before getting off the bed and sitting next to Kagami. It was, to Kagami's surprise, very... comfortable sitting next to them. 

They were very fuzzy. 

And warm. 

...

She was slightly conflicted.

Nazuna broke the silence and gave Kagami a small smile. "Look, it might just be best to think it over for now." Letting her tail wrap around Kagami's waist, Nazuna brought her knees up and rested her arms against them. "If your feelings aren't being returned, it might be best to call it off. You'll find someone else eventually."

Michiru jumped to her feet and posed, puffing out her chest and grinning. "And besides! It's not like he's the  _ only _ person you can ask to hang out with."

Kagami laughed a bit before Nazuna also spoke up. "What about Marinette? She's your friend, too, right?"

She was silent for a moment before smiling at the idea. "Perhaps I should ask Marinette if she has more free time. I'm sure she would love to meet both of you." A glance at Michiru made Kagami smirk a bit. "Again, in your case." From there, they descended into chatter and gossip, mainly being carried by Nazuna and Michiru, though Kagami did have a few stories to share of her own.

For the first time in a long time, it wasn't a lonely night in the Tsurugi household.

* * *

As Marinette looked over her notes, Tikki looked rather pensive. It wasn't Something that Marinette would overlook, but for the past few minutes, she had decided not to bother Tikki. But even Marinette has her limits. The constant hovering between which shoulder Tikki would look over was starting to make the already stressed girl worry, so she put the list down and turned to face her Kwami. "Tikki? Is Something wrong?"

Tikki's pacing stopped as she came to hover in front of Marinette. "It's those new people from earlier you mentioned." Tikki landed in Marinette's hands, and her antennae drooped. "At first I thought what happened to them was because of the Akuma. But then they helped you purify it, and they stayed the same." Tikki shivered and looked out the window. "Something very wrong happened to them. My ladybugs couldn't even return those two girls back into being human."

Marinette's eyes widened as she stood up. "Wait, you mean-?"

Tikki nodded a bit and looked sad. "Your new friend, Michiru. She and her friend were once ordinary girls. I can feel it when I'm near them, almost like an echo, but it only lasts for brief moments. Their souls and bodies aren't in balance. I'm not even sure it would be possible for them to use a Miraculous without Something happening to them."

Feeling her jaw drop, Marinette's eyes moved to the window, and she frowned for a moment. "That's... that's horrible. Do you have any idea what happened to them?"

Tikki sadly shook her head. "No, but whatever it was, it had to have been some time ago. While they're still unbalanced, their souls and bodies are starting to align again."

"What about Mr. Oogami? Was there anything off about him?" 

"I'm not sure." Tikki looked down and sighed. "You were transformed when you met him, so I wasn't able to tell much. Plagg always was better at that."

Humming, Marinette glanced at the miracle box for a moment before shaking her head. "Then let's hope that we won't need to give them a Miraculous." Marinette smiled a bit as she let Tikki fly up from her hands and moved to the balcony. "Thankfully, they seemed capable enough in a fight, if what Chat told me says anything. Mr. Oogami's skill will be needed if he agrees to help with this." Taking a moment to breathe the night air, Marinette calmed herself and stared over the roofs with a determined grin. "Tikki, Spots on!"

* * *

Adrien was relaxing on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling. Thinking back on the day was making him feel conflicted. First, an Akuma led them all on a merry chase through Paris. Then, a pair of cute animal girls (and the wolfman) show up. Then a  _ second _ Akuma appears, and his lady is nowhere to be seen?

The whole day was just weird.

"Plagg? I could use some advice."

Plagg, mid-bite of Camembert, sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, kid, if you're going to ask about more girl troubles, leave me out of it."

"That's not it, Plagg." Adrien sat up and turned to the kwami.

Plagg narrowed his eyes at his holder for a moment. "Could have fooled me. Did a good job lying needlessly earlier today."

"Everyone expects me to be innocent, okay?" Adrien threw his arms up a bit and sighed.

Plagg smirked a bit and flew over to Adrien's desk, leaning against his keyboard as he took another bite. "I will admit, making your alter ego look like a closet degenerate certainly throws people off your trail."

Blushing a bit, Adrien stood up from his bed and glared. "I-I am not a closet degenerate!"

Casually leaning to the side, Plagg played with the mouse a little bit. "Oh, so you're a regular degenerate then?"

Adrien's blush grew as he tried to defend himself. "I am not!"

Plagg clicked the mouse and opened a folder on Adrien's desktop. "Alright, then what's this folder he-"    
  
At the sight of the file's contents, Adrien's blush reached its peak. Dozens upon dozens of cute anime girl pictures filled the screen. There was a single folder amongst them, and a few picture previews sported red and black spots. "Plagg, stay out of my computer, or I'll toss out your Camembert!"

Laughing, Plagg closed the file and flew around the room, Adrien chasing him all the while. "Alright, alright!" Plagg huffed before looking over Adrien's shoulder at the clock. "Also, weren't you supposed to meet up with Ladybug and that wolf guy about now?"

Looking at the clock himself, Adrien's face drained of color. "OH CRAP, I'M LATE!" Adrien scrambled over to his window and almost jumped out before remembering he still had to activate his ring. "Plagg! claws out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I warned, chapters are going to take longer to finish with some of the stuff Life is throwing at me, but I managed to get this one out. The next should be in about two weeks if my free time doesn't change.


	9. Cold Nights, Information, and Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirou has a meeting with Ladybug and Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not sure how a two-week notice turned into three weeks, but I have the chapter ready, and a good amount of that commission that's stealing my time is also finished! Hopefully, I can get the next chapter done in my usual week, but I make no promises.

As night fell, the cold Parisian air whipped past Shirou’s coat. Standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower, he looked over Paris as he waited. If anything, he had yet another thing to thank the Tsurugi family for. Were it not for their daughter, Michiru likely would have done everything in her power to follow him.

However, the time she and Nazuna spent telling stories to Kagami wore the three of them out, and she was in bed when he left.

Not that he double-checked that for any reason. Michiru was a legal adult, not a child.

Speaking of children, Shirou now stood patiently, waiting for the other half of this meeting to arrive. For the one who requested it, Ladybug was certainly taking her time. Though if what he suspected was right, that was to be expected. Last he checked, this was a school night.

A whirring sound zipped up from behind him. When he turned, Shirou was greeted with the sight of the red and black spotted heroine landing behind him on the platform, shortly followed by a leather-clad boy who glared at him. “Let’s make this quick.” Shirou turned around fully and crossed his arms. He had a newspaper in one hand that fluttered gently in the breeze. 

Ladybug and Chat shared a glance before the heroine sighed. “Yes, let’s. Firstly, am I correct to assume you do not work for Hawkmoth?”

Shirou nodded as he glanced down at the newspaper. “I did a little research before coming here. This Hawkmoth character is the kind of person I would put behind bars.”

Letting out a breath of relief, Ladybug relaxed a bit and looked over to Chat. “Now, can you please stop glaring at him?”

“He affronted my honor!” Chat steamed as he kept his hands on his staff.

“If you mean your backside when I disarmed you, then yes.” Shirou deadpanned as he hid a small smirk, getting an undignified ‘hey!’ from the hero.

“Enough, both of you.” Ladybug frowned as she looked between the two. “We’re here to ask questions, not start fights,” Cat growled at Wolf for a few moments more, before Chat huffed and turned around. Rolling her eyes, Ladybug turned back to Shirou and shook her head. “Should you start, or shall I continue?”

Shirou gave her a nod. “By all means.”

“Right.” Ladybug took a breath and crossed her arms. “What exactly happened that brought you here? The other two who came with you only appear to speak Japanese.”

Shirou let out a breath through his nose. “I was on a case regarding several break-ins at Anima City’s medical facility, Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals. The perpetrator was able to enter and leave without any form of detection, so the mayor asked for my help.” His usual stoic face shifted to a slight grimace. “However, when I managed to catch him in the act, he somehow was able to teleport himself to safety. I chased him further until I caught him holding an unconscious Kagemori and Hitwatashi.” After that, he looked over the city and let the grimace fade. “He opened some form of portal as I tackled him.”

“And that is how you all arrived in Paris?” Ladybug put a hand to her chin in thought. As Shirou nodded, she hummed for a moment. “Could you describe the man who was breaking in?”

“He was wearing a black bodysuit, with glowing lines of something traveling across his limbs.” _Like a Nirvasyl Syndrome patient,_ Shirou added mentally as he adjusted his coat a bit. The wind was starting to pick up a bit.

“That sounds like the first Akuma from yesterday,” Chat muttered as he frowned. Shirou raised an eyebrow at him. “We were trying to catch him when he teleported away, and we lost him. It wasn’t long after that _you_ showed up.”

“That would explain where he kept going.” Ladybug agreed before continuing to rub her chin. _That doesn’t explain everything, though. If anything, I have more questions._ “Do you have any ideas as to what he wanted?”

Shirou nodded. “Over the time he spent in the facility, he stole several pieces of medical equipment, as well as destroying many of the various drugs stored there.” He stepped forward, and both heroes made note of how he was intimidatingly taller than both of them. Sure, they’d faced bigger, but that consisted of a giant ice cream man, baby, and gorilla. All of which were akumatized villains. Shirou, to their surprise, deftly put those villains to shame. There was a sense of foreboding that radiated off of the man, even without the wolf features. It certainly did not help that he was over a head taller than even Chat like he was simply that powerful and experienced.

Which of course, he was, but they didn’t know that.

“Now, it’s my turn for questions.” His tone hadn’t changed, but he could smell the slight spark of fear from the two heroes. “Why are two children defending Paris from a terrorist and not any law enforcement?”

Ladybug tried to speak up, but for a moment, her voice failed her. It was almost like she could feel Tikki shivering in terror. “I-I...”

Shirou looked down at the two for a moment more, before sighing and shaking his head a bit. “If you’re uncomfortable answering, that only raises my suspicions. You weren’t given much choice in your roles, were you?”

And like that, the sheer pressure this man radiated was gone. On some level, Ladybug was disturbed, but on another, she was curious. “That is...true. We were chosen for this role by the previous guardian.”

Narrowing his eyes a bit, Shirou leaned against the railing behind him. “Why not someone else? What was it about you two that made child soldiers necessary?”

“That would be our affinity to our respective Miraculous.” Ladybug gestured to her earrings. “The both of us were the best candidates for wielding the Ladybug and Black Cat,” she sighed before looking down solemnly. “Master Fu would have chosen someone older if he had the time, but Hawkmoth struck earlier than he’d hoped.”

Shirou let out a steady breath before gesturing to the newspaper on the ground between them. “From what I could read, Hawkmoth, whoever he is, sends out a purple butterfly you’ve taken to calling ‘Akumas.’ I take it this is the effect of a Miraculous as well?”

Ladybug gave a small nod. “That’s correct. Hawkmoth is currently in possession of the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous. The former is what he uses to create Akumas. The latter allows his accomplice, Mayura, to create Amoks to aid the Akuma in their goal.”

“And what goal would that be?” Shirou raised an eyebrow.

Hesitating for a moment, Ladybug glanced back at Chat, who just sighed. “Well, you’ve told him this much.”

Turning back to Shirou, Ladybug frowned. “If someone wields both the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous at the same time, they can unify their powers to access a spell that grants one wish. However, for every wish, there is a cost of equal value.”

Shirou took a moment to think over everything he’d been told. “An equivalent exchange?”

“That’s right.” Ladybug held up her hands and looked between them. “For everything granted, something is taken. A gem for a gem. A life for a life. However, the value is equal to the caster’s desires as well. So if you wished for a loved one to be resurrected-”

“Someone else you love would die.” Shirou finished as he grimaced. “This only makes my earlier point stronger. With this kind of threat, why would the responsibility be forced on children?”

Chat saw Ladybug’s hand twitch slightly and stepped up to stand next to her. “The miraculous bond to younger users easily and only grows stronger as we get older. It’s thanks to that that we’ve been able to keep up with Hawkmoth, even though he’s an adult.”

“That doesn’t excuse turning the both of you into child soldiers,” Shirou growled under his breath before a faint fluttering caught his ears.

Looking up, he saw a purple butterfly fluttering towards the three of them, headed for himself.

Ladybug’s yo-yo shot out and caught the Akuma before it could get much farther. “That was the third one this week.”

Chat looked on as Ladybug opened the yo-yo to let out the purified butterfly. His eyes locking onto the glistening white wings as they fluttered away into the night. “He’s getting stronger.” 

Shirou looked at both of them, and for a moment, he could see how exhausted they were. “How long have you been doing this?”

The two heroes were silent. Ladybug looked down at her yo-yo, bangs falling over her eyes. “...three years.”

Shirou’s anger spiked at the words. Children shouldn’t have to fight to keep their loved ones safe; they were the ones who were supposed to be protected! It tore into deep-seated instincts that he often denied he had. Instincts that a certain tanuki incessantly reminded him existed, and that Barbara pointed out when he chose his cover job for when he wasn’t acting as an advisor or investigator.

Ladybug turned to him suddenly and had a look of determination in her eyes. “This is one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. Over those three years, we haven’t been able to catch Hawkmoth on our own, even with the temporary heroes we had at the time assisting us.”

Chat raised an eyebrow and pulled Ladybug to the side. “Wait... do you think he can find him? What would even give you that idea?”

Nodding to her partner, Ladybug smiled as she whispered in his ear. “He almost found me out earlier today, and that was just from one conversation.” Chat’s eyes flew wide open at that, and he turned to look at her in shock. “I was trying to cover some information, and he spotted the flaw almost immediately.”

Chat’s jaw couldn’t drop any lower as he shot a quick look at Shirou before focusing on Ladybug. “But... but a Miraculous is supposed to alter people’s perception of us magically. How?”

Shaking her head, she pointed over her shoulder to where Shirou was standing and shrugged. “He said something about scents and how they didn’t add up with what I said. I think that the ‘wolfman’ power of his lets him track like a wolf does. He could tell I wasn’t honest about how many people I was with because he could smell them on me.”

Frowning, Chat sighed and rubbed his chin. “I see. That kind of ability would make hiding our identities harder.”

Shirou waited patiently for the two to leave their huddle, and when they did, he raised an eyebrow. “So, what was it you wanted to ask?” Of course, he already had an idea of what it was. They weren’t as quiet as they think they were, but it was clear this Chat kid didn’t like him all that much.

Ladybug had her hands clasped at her waist as she took a step towards Shirou. “We were wondering if you would aid us in finding Hawkmoth.”

Looking down, Shirou let out a breath. _This is like something out of a comic book, so it’s likely they don’t even know each other’s identities, which may cause some tension here._ “I’ll see what I can do.” He looked up at the two and frowned. “There’s a good chance I’ll find out your identities as well during my investigation. Are you okay with that?”

Silent, Ladybug turned to look at her partner, conflict dancing in her eyes, before she sighed and turned back to Shirou, looking resigned. “We were discussing that a moment ago, and... it’s a risk I’m willing to take.” When her partner remained silent, she turned to look at him. “Chat?”

Chat glared at Shirou for a moment, before turning his head away with a huff. “If it brings down Hawkmoth, then fine.” He readied his staff and didn’t even spare a glance over his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, My Lady.”

As Chat leaped away, Ladybug held out a hand and took a step towards him. “Chat, wait!” But she wasn’t fast enough, and Chat Noir was gone from the tower, leaving Ladybug and Shirou alone. “Chat.”

Shirou raised an eyebrow at the departing figure of Chat as it vanished over the roofs. “Should I be concerned?”

Ladybug sighed and shook her head. “A lot of what I just told you was supposed to be kept secret from anyone not involved. This meeting alone, asking for your help, broke more rules than you can imagine." Hugging her arms, Ladybug looked down. "As for Chat, it’s not my place to say. Even with us keeping our conversations vague for the sake of identities, I can tell he’s not comfortable talking about it. More importantly, I promised him that once we found Hawkmoth, he would be the first person I’d reveal myself to.” Her fist clenched as she looked over the rooftops that Chat had left atop. “I just wish I could be more honest with him. He’s been one of my best friends since this started.”

“I see.” Shirou hummed as he put a hand on his chin. _A teenager with trust issues. That’s something else I might look into later. Last time I dealt with a kid like that, there was abuse involved._ Shaking his head from the thought, Shirou looked back to Ladybug. “Can you show me Hawkmoth’s last known location? It would be a good place to start.”

Nodding, Ladybug readied her yo-yo and gestured to another building in the distance. “This way.”

* * *

It was midnight as a young girl slept in her room. The pale moonlight spilled forth over her bed, bathing it in blue that danced across various patterns in her blanket. It was evident that her sleep was rife with discomfort; perhaps a nightmare? Her skin paled under the moon’s eye, and she tossed and turned, trying to escape some unseen force.

However, she was not alone. A man in a black bodysuit, holding a syringe stood over her slumbering form. Glowing red eyes stared down at her with a calculating gaze. With a deft hand, he brushed away the hair that covered her neck, just as she turned again. A small dart was left in her skin, and her body stilled.

A smile was hidden under his mask, as the syringe was raised into the air.


	10. Briefing, Investigation, and Sisterly Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirou and Ladybug go over what happened with Miracle Queen, and Shirou begins his investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, Michiru and Nazuna have a bonding moment at the Tsurugi household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, guys, we got a BNA-cast-heavy chapter for today! Next chapter, I'll try to get more Miraculous people in, but for now, enjoy these disaster-furries as they do their things. I also am happy to announce that I'll have more time to work on this again, as my Commission drawing has been completed and delivered! The client was REALLY happy about how it came out which mades me happy.
> 
> Also, writing Serious Shirou is taxing in that way that you enjoy it, but then need a break after. Like Jogging for those weird people that love to exercise. I mean really, It's 50' F outside right now. (10' C for you metric folks) so I'd rather stay inside wrapped in a nice blanket thank you! Marinette has the right idea, the cold sucks!

Landing atop a roof bordering a fountain plaza, Ladybug looked over to Shirou as he landed nearby. “This was where we last encountered Hawkmoth.” 

“Do you mind if I take a look around?” Ladybug shook her head, and Shirou started to examine the area.  _ No scents left. Likely washed away by rainfall. Not surprising with the time frame, but that would have made this a lot easier. _

As Shirou looked around, however, Ladybug’s mind began to go back to when it had happened. She could practically see it all over again, everyone standing in the courtyard, or on the roof, right where they had been that fateful day.

Master Fu as he desperately tried to protect himself with the Turtle from Hawkmoth and Mayura’s sentimonster. 

Miracle Queen’s laugh as she forced almost her entire team to transform and attack both her and Chat.

Hawkmoth’s malicious smile as he held the Miracle Box, if only for that one fight.

Master Fu naming her guardian at the cost of his memories.

Chloé as she greedily grabbed as many Miraculous as she could after being un-akumatized.

Shirou’s attention was back to the young heroine as a small shudder ripped through her. The haunted look in her eyes made him pause for only a moment. “What exactly happened?”

Letting out a steady breath, Ladybug straightened up and looked down over the plaza. “Chloé Bourgeois, a former Miraculous user, aided Hawkmoth in a planned attack that targeted the Guardian instead of Chat or myself. The result was the exposure of our entire team of backup heroes, the near loss of all the Miraculous, and the former Guardian losing all memory of the Miraculous as he passed the title on to me.” Turning to Shirou, she frowned. “The only reason I’m telling you her name is that, of all the Miraculous users, Chloé had already announced herself to all of Paris, which is how Hawkmoth knew to target her in the first place.”

Shirou put a hand to his chin and hummed; eyes closed.  _ She said this Bourgeois girl was here as well and was with Hawkmoth at the time, right? _ Opening his eyes, Shirou looked to Ladybug. “I’ll need to do some digging around, but I have an idea of where to start. Do you know where Bourgeois currently is?”

Nodding, Ladybug pointed over towards another part of town. Shirou could see there were more businesses there than homes. Still, a hotel could be seen dominating the other buildings by presence alone. “Chloé has been under house arrest ever since it got out that she willingly aided Hawkmoth.” Ladybug sighed and shook her head, looking sadly down at the fountain. “Her father is the current Mayor of Paris, and owner of ‘Le Grand Paris.’ Due to her age and her father’s influence, the house arrest was the extent of her sentencing. She could have had a far worse punishment. She's lucky.”

Raising an eyebrow, Shirou seemed skeptical. “You don’t sound like you agree.”

Ladybug shook her head softly as she looked up from the fountain and over the city. “Hawkmoth manipulates the emotions of those he interacts with, no Akuma needed. Just being in his vicinity for too long can let him warp your mind. It’s something I managed to learn from the old master’s grimoire before we lost it as well. It would be child’s play to set off Chloé's temper and bait her into working with him, considering how much of a brat she was before all of this started. Even then, we keep akumatized victim’s identities private from the media as much as we can, so I’m surprised she even was called out and tried. There wasn’t a person in Paris who was aware of what was happening during her akumatization.”

Shirou took a moment to think over everything, letting out a steady breath.  _ A scandalous leak regarding the Mayor and a lack of police to track a terrorist involved with the scandal. Whoever let it out would have to know it was willing or used false evidence to make it look that way. Either way, this looks like a means to punish the mayor or keep him in line. _ Stepping over to where Ladybug was standing, Shirou’s voice made the heroine turn to him. “I’ll get back to you with what I’ve found at a later date. Can we meet here?”

Ladybug nodded one last time as she grabbed her yo-yo. “Sure, but how will you get a hold of me?”

“I’ve heard you like to patrol at night,” Shirou smirked and pointed at the roof. “I’ll just wait.”

“R-Right.” Ladybug blushed a bit and cleared her throat. “Well, I’ll let you get to- uh, Investigating. Bug out!”

Shirou was a little impressed at how fast she fled, and as a result, he couldn’t help but picture Michiru running off as well. “I think she and Michiru would get along well.” He paused at the thought before scowling at himself. He had more important tasks to focus on. 

Starting with Le Grand Paris.

* * *

By the time Shirou had made his way to Le Grand Paris, it was almost dawn. He looked up at the building’s windows and hummed in thought. “So, she’s supposed to be somewhere in here.” His eyes focused on the topmost windows, noting how they had access to the roof.  _ According to what I was told, she had the top floor’s suite to herself. _ He could easily have jumped up the fire escape and entered that way. However, if he was going to do this, he decided he’d try more... legal methods first. It should be possible to ask to speak with Bourgeois without breaking and entering. House Arrest usually did not mean nobody could talk with the detained. 

_ Maybe Michiru is rubbing off on me. _ Shirou looked over to his right and saw a distinct lack of chaos happening.  _ Nevermind. The city’s still standing. _

Walking inside, he looked for the first member of the staff he could find. The receptionist, some exasperated looking woman, jolted up at the sound of the door before smiling nervously. “G-Good even- uh, good morning, sir! How may I help you?”

Shirou’s gaze, stern as ever, went right through the poor woman. “I’m looking for a Chloé Bourgeois. Can you tell me where I can find her-” Shirou looked down at her nametag and raised an eyebrow. “Mireille?”

Mirielle paled at the mention of the young girl before looking down. “I-I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t help you. Mlle. Bourgeois was removed from the hotel some time ago.” She nervously gestured towards the elevator, eyes closed to keep from looking at anyone. “I would take you to see Mayor Bourgeois, but you would need to schedule an appointment. H-He’s been a rather busy man these days.” She gulped a bit and kept her eyes down at her papers. “Is there anything else I c-can help with?”

Shirou, let out a breath through his nose before turning to the front doors. “Thank you for the information.”

Looking back over his shoulder as he was on the sidewalk once more, Shirou could see Mirielle collapse onto the counter before hastily grabbing the phone and calling someone. He could smell how panicked she was from out here, and he walked around the building to the back.

_ Illegal methods it is. _

Climbing the fire escape, Shirou soon was standing on the roof and looking at the doors leading inside. A quick check found the door unlocked, and he made his way inside the suite.

Looking around, he could tell it was cleaned recently. Everything was folded neatly or packed away in their proper places. What he didn’t see, however, was any signs of someone living in the room.  _ Expected, but let’s test how thorough the staff is. _ He opened various drawers and the closet, looking for any missed items, and found nothing. A check under the bed proved just as fruitless.

A whiff of something in the air, however, made him pause. He turned towards the kitchen, and his eyes narrowed. Walking in, he looked around until a glint from the window caught his eye. A pair of sunglasses, yellow-gold in color, were sitting on the windowsill as if they were thrown there. Picking the glasses up, Shirou gave a cursory sniff before humming.  _ Her scent’s still here; I can use that. _

Closing his eyes, he inhaled.

The scents were a story all their own.

He could smell what he assumed was Chloé. That was no surprise. However, other scents should not have been so fresh. At least four men, all of the more muscular builds, and the scent of adrenaline. He could also smell a hint of blood, which made his hackles rise. Most worrying, though, was the scent of someone rather important to his current predicament.

The man who robbed the Medical Center was here sometime last night. However, his scent was older than the other men. Whatever reason he was here, it was a short trip.

Opening his eyes, Shirou looked at the glasses and scowled. Something more was going on here in Paris than just his perp running loose.

And at least part of it was tied to this Chloé girl.

* * *

Michiru was bored.

She would have spent the day playing basketball, but there wasn’t a hoop to be seen in the Tsurugi estate.

She would have hung out with Kagami, but unlike yesterday, the heiress had to go to class.

She would have gone into town to see what was going on. However, she _ didn’t speak French.  _ She was also required to be shifted into a human outside the estate per Shirou and Mrs. Tsurugi’s orders. 

So in all, the tanuki had quite the conundrum; one she was having trouble solving. However, since the best problem solvers she knew were either in Japan or somewhere in the city, she went to the available one. 

Namely, the friend who was just trying to enjoy a cup of tea.

“So... what do we do today?”

Nazuna had been in the midst of taking a sip of tea when Michiru had found her in the main foyer and almost choked from Michiru’s sudden appearance. She raised an eyebrow at her friend’s question for a moment before humming in thought and setting her cup down. “Well, it’s not like we can just go around Paris without Kagami or Shirou. Neither of us has any money either.” Taking another sip, Nazuna set her cup down and shrugged. “I guess we just hang around here for the day and enjoy some tea.”

Groaning, Michiru slumped forward with a whine and let her arms dangle. “Really wishing I’d taken those French courses.”

Stopping short of grabbing her tea again, Nazuna’s eyes widened as she looked over at Michiru in surprise. “You had the chance to learn French?  _ You? _ ”

Michiru shrugged a bit and rubbed the back of her head. “Mayor Rose offered. She also offered me German and English.”

Nazuna’s face scrunched in confusion. “I thought you passed our English classes.” 

A blush started to grow on Michiru’s face as she rubbed her head a little faster. “I did, but It’s been so long since I’ve had to use it, so I uh... mostly forgot?” Nazuna shot her a deadpan stare. “I wasn’t exactly social for a good year before heading to Anima City, sue me!”

Chuckling a bit as she got up, Nazuna smiled at Michiru. “Right. So  _ why _ did she offer those lessons again?” Michiru’s jaw tightened as she looked up, sweating bullets. Nazuna’s smile fell into a small frown as she raised her eyebrow again. “Michiru?”

Nervously glancing anywhere but Nazuna, Michiru let out a shaky laugh. “I uh... may have been offered an advisor position like Shirou’s?” The foyer was left in dead silence. Michiru risked a glance at Nazuna, only to find her unblinking gaze boring right into her. “Nazuna, you’re staring.” When the stare continued, Michiru’s nerves started to act up, making her shrink back into a ball and tuck her tail between her legs. “Nazuna, please! Stop! It was just the advisor position she offered, not the butt-kicking! I swear it’s the safe job and not the dangerous one!”

Michiru didn’t have a chance to dodge the sudden bone-crushing hug she was pulled into.

No longer in her chair and spinning around in circles, squealing all the while, Nazuna beamed at her friend with absolute jubilation before setting her down. “This is amazing!”

A thoroughly dazed Michiru’s head rolled around a bit as her eyes did the same in their sockets. “Eh?”

Nazuna stepped back as Michiru got her bearings. “Michiru, didn’t you say you wanted to help with relations between beastmen and humans and how we had a ‘unique perspective’ since we’ve been both?”

Blushing a bit, Michiru rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, yeah, but-”

“Then, this is perfect!” Nazuna excitedly cheered before remembering where they were. Blushing a bit as she calmed herself, she waved a hand idly. “I mean, I’d probably help you if I wasn’t already starting my idol career,” Nazuna added with a smile, “but this would even let your parents come and see you once we get back!”

Michiru froze for a moment before looking down with a fragile smile. “Yeah... my parents.”

Nazuna’s own smile faded down into a concerned frown. “Did... did something happen?”

Michiru was silent for a moment before nodding as she started to rub her arm. “...Dad... wasn't happy about,” she waved a hand at herself, “ _ this _ .”

“...what?”

Michiru hastily waved her hands in front of her and gave a shaky smile. “I mean, at least Mom tried to be there for me! So you don’t have to worry about that! But... uh...” She sighed and let her shoulders sag a bit. “Yeah... He made it clear he wasn’t happy about what happened to us.”

Grimacing for a moment, Nazuna soon pulled Michiru in for a much softer hug than before. “I’m so sorry, Michiru. I-I shouldn’t have-”

Chuckling dryly, Michiru hugged her back. “It’s alright, Nazuna. It’s not like I told you or anything.” Letting go of the hug, she gave her usual bright smile and a thumbs up. “Besides. Shirou’s our dad now, even if he won’t say it out loud.” The two laughed a bit at that and moved back to where Nazuna had left her tea. As they sat, Michiru’s ears perked up as she hummed in thought. “Now that I think about it, do you think he and my mom would get along? She did say she wanted to adopt you after meeting your parents that one time.”

Nazuna snorted in amusement and picked up her drink. “That might be pretty entertaining to see, actually.” Sighing softly, she looked down at her tea. “Still... sorry about bringing up parents. I guess I was just hoping your family had reacted better than mine did.”

Michiru’s eyes narrowed as she frowned. “Nazuna. What did those jerks do?”

Shrugging, Nazuna looked off to the side for a moment. “They disowned me the moment they saw me.” Michiru’s jaw dropped, but Nazuna smirked evilly as she took a sip. “Jokes on them, though. I’m famous now, and I’m not sharing  _ anything _ .” She gave Michiru a wink. “Unless, of course, they grovel at my fuzzy toes. Then  _ maybe _ I’ll consider it.”

The two laughed at the thought, knowing full well that there was absolutely no way Nazuna’s parents would even attempt that. When they both got a hold of themselves, Michiru wiped a tear from her eye and jabbed a thumb towards the front door. “... Say, want to go hunt down Shirou and get involved in whatever he’s up to?”

“It’s not like you do anything else most of the time, and you usually drag me along anyway.”

“All of those incidents were one hundred percent unintentional, and you know it.”

“That’s a load of crap, and we have video evidence to prove it.”

“In my defense, I was left unsupervised.”

“Marie was there.”

“In our defense, we were left unsupervised.”


	11. Breakups, Gossip, and Minions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami talks with Adrien about their relationship, Marinette deals with class gossip, and Shirou finds a major lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY! Okay all, this chapter is actually a bit longer than the previous ones. One of the reasons being that writing the talk the first section has was... taxing. But not in the nice way writing Shirou is. I'm not too fond of the topic for personal reasons. We also get some low-level baddies towards the end because who else am I going to have Shirou punch before we get to the main events?

When he woke up that morning, Adrien was uncharacteristically grouchy. Even compared to days when he knew his father would send him to several photoshoots regardless of his plans. Adrien at least would fake a smile once Nathalie came with his schedule. That morning, however, he’d had little sleep. His mind kept racing over and over about just how much happened yesterday.

With a groan, he sat up in bed and looked at his desk, where Plagg was in the middle of eating his third-breakfast cheese wheel. “Plagg, why would Ladybug just... accept help from some new guy! She never asks for help when we’re dealing with Akumas or even finding leads for Hawkmoth. So why now? For all we know, he could be faking it and working with Hawkmoth to find out who we are! He even said it was a possibility if he helps us!” 

Shoving the remainder of the cheese down his tiny throat, Plagg just shrugged and flew over. “Kid, I know as much of what’s going through Ladybug’s head as you do.” Landing on Adrien’s knee, the Kwami’s antennae and ears drooped. “If you ask me, I think she’s getting tired.”

Adrien paused in his funk and looked at Plagg in surprise. “Tired?”

“Yeah. Tired.” Plagg flew up as Adrien got off the bed and started to pace around his room. “It’s been three years of you two hunting down a guy in a butterfly suit and the close calls you’ve both had with hiding your identities.” He landed on the back of Adrien’s chair as the boy started to get ready for the day. “It’s probably wearing her down even more now that she’s the Guardian on top of that.”

Sighing as his shirt went over his head, Adrien scowled. “I know, but... I just don’t get it! We’ve always been a team, and she’s tried to let me in on more now that she’s the Guardian, but the identities rule is the _one rule_ she remains adamant about. It just doesn’t make sense that she’d risk it out of nowhere.”

When Adrien was fully dressed and started getting his bag ready, Plagg flew into his usual spot in Adrien’s pocket. “Kid, I get it. Yeah, you’re a team. But you’re also just _kids_. I’m still mad at Fu for putting this on you two, but I don’t really have a say in who uses me, and he’s not in charge anymore.” Plagg’s small nub pressed against Adrien’s chest and gave him a quick pat. “If I can say anything, though, it’s that you’re one of the best kittens I’ve ever had, and probably ever will.”

Adrien’s eyes were wide as Plagg finished before they melted into a subdued smile. “Thanks, Plagg.”

* * *

After getting his daily schedule from Nathalie, Adrien was mentally cringing at how his afternoon had four photoshoots he had to do today. He headed out to what he hoped would be an uneventful day at school.

He didn’t even make it to school.

“Adrien.”

The poor boy nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around in surprise. “Oh, Kagami! I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

Usually, that would have gotten a smile out of her, but Adrien was confused when her frown got slightly tighter. “Can we talk?”

Adrien had to fight back the urge to swallow and gave his best smile. “S-sure.” He looked at the Gorilla and waved. “I’ll walk to school today. I won’t say anything if you don’t.” His bodyguard gave Adrien a slightly worried look before letting a breath out his nose and shaking his head, confusing Adrien more. Still, he drove off like asked, leaving the two teens alone. Turning back to Kagami as they started to walk, he raised an eyebrow. “So... what did you want to talk about?”

Kagami looked down at her hands as they walked, which only served to heighten Adrien’s worry. “Remember when I told you the biggest mistake a fencer could make is choosing the wrong target?”

With his nerves acting up, Adrien unconsciously started to rub the back of his neck. “Uh, yes?”

Kagami stopped and looked him in the eye. “I feel that we both have made that same mistake.” Sighing sadly, she shook her head. “Please do not take this the wrong way, Adrien.”

Adrien found his heart was racing, but not in a comforting way. Something about this was making him uneasy. Was it her wording? Why would he be taking this the wrong way? _What_ would he be taking the wrong way? “What do you mean?” He hadn’t even meant to say it out loud, but the words slipped from his lips.

“Yesterday, I made some new friends. It was slightly unusual, with them being older than us, but they offered their perspective on certain matters; regarding my behavior, and by extension, our relationship.” Looking away for a moment, shame steadily filled Kagami’s heart. “I believe we’ve been in an unhealthy relationship. I am ashamed to admit that I saw you more as a possession than a person, and I was becoming slightly obsessive as a result. More so, there was one other point that I noticed but had refused to acknowledge until recently.” Turning back to Adrien, her frown cut right through his soul. “While I appreciate the efforts you’ve put in, it is clear your heart has not changed since we first started dating. The fact you pull away from any attempt at a kiss only hurts and furthers that fact.” She put a hand to her chest, and a rueful smile crossed her face. “While you may have been my boyfriend, my victory in this contest of hearts was superficial at best, and only in name.”

His hands were trembling. Why were they shaking? Adrien had to choke down his heart to keep it from leaping out of his throat. He had a reasonably good idea of what Kagami was trying to say now, but he still felt horrible. “Does... does this mean that-?”

Kagami nodded and sighed before looking Adrien in the eyes. “Yes, Adrien. Our relationship is over.”

And just like that, Adrien’s heart fractured. “Oh.” It was... strange. He’d expected the heartbreak from hearing those words to be worse, yet, while it hurt, it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought. The only memory he could compare it to was when he had to get shots when he was little. Yes, it hurt, but nowhere near what he hyped himself up to. 

That wasn’t to say it was painless, though, and an irrational fear bore through it. It was in a desperate attempt, and a rather pathetic one, but Adrien reached for the one thing he couldn’t stand to lose. “Can... Can we still be friends?”

Kagami still held that bitter smile and closed her eyes. “We’ll see.”

 _That... that was better than nothing, right?_ Adrien thought to himself, feeling dread creep into him. _That means there’s a chance she won’t leave._

Bowing slightly, Kagami broke Adrien from the start of his spiraling thoughts. “Please give Marinette my regards.”

And just like that, Adrien was confused again. “Wait, Marinette?” What was Kagami talking about? Why would he be giving Marinette...? Did something happen between the two of them? He thought they were getting along well, last time they had hung out together. Sure, Marinette was still really anxious around him for some reason, but that didn’t have anything to do with Kagami. Did it? 

Kagami, for her part, looked just as confused as Adrien did. “Is she not the one you’ve been after?”

Adrien’s eyes shot wide open at that. So that’s where the confusion was! Kagami must have thought that Marinette was the other girl he had feelings for instead of Ladybug. Granted, he never actually said who it was, so it was understandable where the mix up happened. Rubbing the back of his head as he smiled, Adrien waved his hand. “No, she’s just a friend.”

At his response, Kagami could only stare at him incredulously, eyes slowly widening as her jaw fought to close from its recent drop. _Did... does this boy not realize his own feelings!? He was willing to blackmail that Rossi girl to get Marinette back in school, yet she’s just a_ **_friend!?_ ** A sobering thought crossed her mind as her mouth finally closed. _And here I accused Marinette of stringing_ **_him_ ** _along when I started pursuing him._ A scowl slowly formed on her face, making Adrien flinch back. “It seems I was wrong about many things as of late. You truly are an idiot, Adrien Agreste.”

“K-Kagami!?” Adrien could only stare as his now ex-girlfriend marched away. It wasn’t until she was gone that he managed to look to Plagg. “What did she mean by...?”

Plagg just looked up at Adrien and sighed, shaking his head. “Kid, I think you need to re-evaluate a _lot_ of things. Namely, what you think of Pigtails, but we’ll focus on that later.”

Adrien shook his head and started his walk to school once more. “She’s just a friend, Plagg.” The words sounded hollow, even to him. He couldn’t put any energy behind them. 

The Kwami in his pocket only looked sadly up at his holder. “You sure about that?”

* * *

For Marinette, the morning following her meeting with Shirou was, thankfully, uneventful. Yes, Marinette was tired from staying up later than usual, which was _pretty_ late for her, all superhero-related things aside. Still, it was another miraculous morning that had her get to class undisturbed. 

Mostly. 

She even made it on time for once! 

...

Okay, she _barely_ made it to class, but that still counts! She was also lucky that Mme. Bustier decided to have her period be a study hall for the day.

Though as she sat in her usual spot, the classroom was unusually quiet, which in and of itself was worrying. _I wonder what’s going on._

It was a worried looking Mylene that answered Marinette’s internal question. “Hey, where’s Lila?”

Marinette looked around, and sure enough, the Italian was not in class. Yet another silent thank you was sent to the tiny goddess in her purse, and Tikki just patted her leg in response.

Ivan looked as confused as his girlfriend did. “Did she go on another trip?”

Rose perked up and smiled as she looked over at the two. “Maybe she’s at a photoshoot with Adrien?”

“Weird, she didn’t say anything about one,” Sabrina muttered as she looked through her notebook. Marinette couldn’t help but feel a touch terrible at seeing her following yet another bully. At least with Chloé, she _knew_ that she was working for someone cruel. This was just going to make her feel worse when the truth came out.

Alix quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Wouldn’t put it past her. She does tend to forget to tell us before she has them.”

Kim leaned over his desk to join the conversation. “How long do you think this one will be?”

Mylene shrugged as well, sighing. “Who knows.”

As Marinette sat down next to her, Alya scoffed a bit under her breath and rolled her eyes. “Maybe until she gets bored at home.”

Marinette winced a bit as a few of the people behind them shot Alya a rather intense glare. With an uneasy smile, she leaned towards her friend. “Maybe tone it down a touch, Alya?”

Alya scowled a bit as she threw an arm towards the classroom door. “The girl made a fool out of us, Marinette. How am I supposed to feel?”

Raising both hands, Marinette frowned herself. “I know, but unfortunately, her working for Gabriel is an _actual_ job of hers. Adrien confirmed it. So for all we know, she really is there.” It was a little annoying, but if Marinette didn’t stop Alya’s indignation, another Akuma would land on her friend. That or Alya might actually get herself into a heap of trouble.

Nino looked over his shoulder at the two and twisted in his seat, worry evident on his face. “Seriously, though, what’s up with you, babe? You’re all kinds of stressed out.” He reached over and put a hand on Alya’s. “I’m worried you might start attracting butterflies.”

That made Alya tense up before she melted down into a heap and rubbed her face. “You’re right. It’s just... someone broke into the zoo last night. My dad was up this morning in a panic when he got called in to help check over everything.”

Shock lit up Marinette and Nino’s faces. “Dude, seriously!?.”

Marinette’s hand went up to her mouth, hiding the worried grimace as best she could. “Really? Did anything happen?” She could feel Tikki in her bag wiggle around, probably trying to listen in as best the Kwami could.

Alya shook her head and looked at her desk in deep thought. “That’s just it, they couldn’t find anything wrong! But there was footage of whoever it was going to _every_ exhibit they could and somehow getting close to the animals without making them freak out. It’s why they called Dad in to make sure they were healthy.”

Nino wordlessly got up and switched seats with Marinette, hugging his girlfriend. They stayed like that for a moment before he started to rub her back. “Wow. That’s really concerning.”

Taking a moment to glance at the class, Marinette was a little shocked that nobody got out of their seats. It looked like they were purposefully ignoring Alya after her remark. She felt a twinge of sadness at the sight of Adrien slumped in his chair. That was until she caught the uneasy, conflicted glance in Mylene’s eyes as she hastily shot a glance to Alya before turning away again.

Before either of them could go any farther and ask how things went at the Zoo, the classroom’s door opened, and Lila stomped her way to her seat. “Sorry, I’m late, everyone. You wouldn’t _believe_ what happened today!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes a bit. _After what they’ve bought out of your lies, I doubt it._

Half of her class that was still listening to Lila all gaped, and Kim spoke up. “What happened?”

Lila rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she sat down. “My Zio Alexandar arrived in Paris. He was at our door this morning, and he kept spoiling us so much I could barely get out!”

“Zio?” Marinette looked to Alya, who pulled out her phone for a moment and started typing.

Alya showed her phone was on a translation website. “Her uncle.”

“Ah.” Sparing a glance at the fuming Italian, Marinette hummed in thought. “Strangely... that one sounds believable to a degree.”

Alya raised an eyebrow herself as she put her phone away and looked back. “Yeah, she actually seems a bit annoyed. Like, usually, she’s faking that sugary smile or silently sending sneers at us.” The two both kept looking at her as she raved about her morning before Alya grimaced. “Is it wrong that I'm slightly uncomfortable from this possibly being genuine?”

Marinette shrugged. “Did you even know she had an uncle?”

Shaking her head, Alya shrugged back. “Nope. Always got silent at the mention of any family that wasn’t her mom.”

Shortly after Alya had said that, Adrien walked in with a smile. The look in his eyes, however, screamed of something else. Marinette was surprised that he’d even been let out of the house with how he looked, but she guessed he applied his concealer well enough to fool Nathalie. That, or maybe it happened after he left? Nino also saw through it instantly and was practically ready to jump out of Marinette’s seat. “Dude, you alright? You look dead on your feet.”

Adrien waved a hand a bit and shot them his best smile. “I’ll be fine, Nino. Just tired.” The fact his best smile looked as dead as his eyes made Marinette’s worries skyrocket. _Just what happened to make him so sad?_ A little voice in the back of her head voiced a possibility, making her heart race with worry. _Did... did something happen with him and Kagami? What if they end up like Luka and me!? What if this makes Adrien so dejected that he abandons all hope for love andliveshislifelikehisfatherandbecomescoldandheartlessandwenevergettogetherorhavethreekidsandahamsternamed-!_

Nino sighed loudly enough that it broke Marinette’s catastrophizing spree as he moved out of her seat. “Whatever you say, bro. When you’re good to talk about it, I’m here.” Giving Marinette a wave of thanks, Nino went back down to his spot next to Adrien and started to chat with him.

Mentally slapping herself, Marinette grimaced. _NO. You promised yourself you would_ **_not_ ** _focus on romance. There’s too much going on right now! Even if it’s making Adrien sad, we will_ **_not_ ** _be getting involved!_

Oh, but how she _wanted_ to help him. Every fiber of her body was screaming that she needed to help. It was _Adrien_ who was sad. The literal Sunshine Child of the class! What kind of everyday Ladybug would she be if she didn’t?

Thankfully, Marinette at least had the manners not to eavesdrop on her ~~crush~~ _good friend_ , so instead, she tried to focus on her homework. Talking with Shirou last night took longer than she thought it would. She still had a third of the assignment incomplete, and it was going to be due the moment she walked into her next class. _So much time wasted because of being a superhero. So many commissions to work on. So much school work. I can handle it! I’m Ladybug, after all._

An extensively long science problem smugly, at least in her mind, stared her in the face before Marinette groaned, letting her head hit the desk. _I hope Mr. Oogami pulls through on his end. No more Akumas sounds absolutely fantastic right now. I could go for a nice mental breakdown._

* * *

Shirou looked up at the building in front of him and growled slightly under his breath as he walked away from City Hall. Mayor Bourgeois had apparently made it impossible to schedule any meetings with him, so any questioning Shirou had planned to do was shot. For a man who’s daughter was missing, he was remarkably unattentive.

And considering the scents brought him to City Hall in the first place made that all the more curious.

Rather than try the front again, Shirou walked around the building to the alley, following his gut feeling. As he found the parking area, he could see a few men standing around in various spots, near light posts, cars, or one particular door. It was suspicious how these men looked like they were here for quite a while, yet only a few were dressed in nicer clothes. One of the men noticed Shirou and raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. They didn’t look away, however, as Shirou walked through the parking.

Shirou kept walking until he made it to the other side of the lot and made it far enough they would think he couldn’t hear them. He pulled out his phone, pretending to check something as he rounded a corner out of sight. With a few quick jumps, he was on the City Hall roof, looking down at the group.

One of the men, balding, and American judging by his accent, looked over at his friend. “Hey, you know who that guy was?”

The suited man next to him shook his head. “Nah. Boss lady said she wasn’t expecting anyone.”

He glared back at where Shirou had vanished, scowling. “Think he’s trouble?”

Smirking, the suit waved a hand. “With how he was walking through here? I would bet on it. Didn’t even look phased. A man like that ain’t something you mess with.”

A second suited man next to him was looking at his phone, frowning as he gave a side-glare at the two. “Well, if he comes anywhere near here again, _motivate_ him to not come back. Alright?”

Rolling his eyes, the first suit shrugged. “Whatever. Any word on the brat?”

The second suit sighed and rubbed his face. “Yes. She started to try and bash the door down a few hours ago. Hasn’t made a sound since.”

The bald guy smirked. “Music to my damn ears.”

The final guy, who was busy standing next to the door, pulled out his phone and answered a call before his eyes shot open. “Guys! Boss wants us downstairs now!”

The three who were talking looked over at him. “Wha?”

He jabbed his thumb at the door and sneered. “Somethin’ freaky just happened to that little bitch! There’s new plans.”

The second suit scowled before they walked up to the door, and he stopped. Pointing at the original guard and the balding man, he sent a chill down their spines. “You two stay out here. If that guy shows up again, you know what to do.”

A vicious smirk crossed the balding guy’s face. “Got it.” He got in position next to the door, and Shirou could see the revolver he had hidden in his waistband.

Once the two suits were inside, the original guard was left with the balding man and looked unamused. “Of course, I’d be stuck with your stupid ass.”

“Like you’re much higher on the food chain,” the bald guy scoffed.

Shirou couldn’t help but smirk a bit as he stood above them and stepped off the building. _But I am._ He landed right between the two, startling them both. Before the balding man could grab his gun, Shirou had both of them by the arm and forced the two into a headbutt, knocking the both of them senseless.

He then brushed off his shoulder and looked at the door before heading inside.


	12. Bakeries, Baddies, and Beatdowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru leads Nazuna on their merry hunt, and Shirou does Shirou things, a.k.a. beating the crap out of bad guys unworthy of his claws. 
> 
> Also, BOTH HALVES HAVE MUSIC IN THEM! I chose to use a You-Tube link for them, so if you phone users are having issues, I apologize. 
> 
> On top of that, THIS CHAPTER ADDED SEVEN TAGS

[Michiru sniffed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyFAIBjI6Ec%C2%A0) the air, for what was probably the hundredth time, before humming. “I think he’s... this way.”

Nazuna just rolled her eyes as they walked down yet another random street. “Michiru, just admit you’re lost.”

His had been going on for the past few hours. Michiru would sniff the air, trying to use her sense of smell to track Shirou. The only problem was, she wasn’t allowed to use her beastman form. She _would_ have, but Nazuna kept reminding her that they would cause a panic if she did.

It almost made Michiru want another weirdo to show up and start making the city explode. At least then, she could feel comfortable in her fur.

“We’re not lost; We’re wandering aimlessly.” Michiru dictated as she continued her march. “In fact, his smell has led me to,” Suddenly turning and pointing in a random direction, Michiru posed dramatically, “there!”

Nazuna kept staring at the bakery Michiru had managed to lead them to. It was fairly sized, being the literal end of the string of buildings, and was painted a pretty shade of white. It had many stories to it, but only the bottom floor was built for business. 

Looking behind them, Nazuna also saw the school that Michiru had first arrived at and facepalmed. “Of course...” She’d been following _her own_ scent this entire time. It wasn’t surprising, considering Michiru was trying to do everything while still human, but that did little to change Nazuna’s annoyance.

Michiru wasted no time as she started to walk inside and waved a hand lazily behind her. “Well, let’s find out if Shirou’s here!”

“Michiru! Wait-!” Groaning as she dragged a hand down her face, Nazuna ran in after her friend.

The two found themselves looking up at a frankly giant man. His overall size was reminding the two of them of Giuliano Flip. However, when he looked at them, his smile could be seen peeking out from under his bushy mustache. “Bienvenue! Comment puis-je vous aider?”

Michiru blinked a few times before rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “Um... Sorry for bothering you?”

The man blinked a few times before chuckling himself and looking over his shoulder. “Sabine, vous devrez peut-être prendre celui-ci.”

“Qu'est-ce que c'est Tom?” A much smaller Chinese woman came from the back, looking confused until she saw Michiru and Nazuna standing at the front. “Oh! Quelle langue?”

“Japonaise.” Before giving the small woman a kiss on the cheek and heading to the back, the large man said before leaving them with her. Michiru could see him start kneading a large loaf of dough and was impressed at how easily he worked.

The woman, however, cleared her throat and got her attention. “Welcome. How can I help you?”

The two blinked in surprise before Michiru started to lean over the counter. “You speak Japanese!?”

“Michiru!” Nazuna tugged her friend back and glowered, even as the woman behind the counter laughed.

The woman waved a hand gently and gave an amused smile. “Some. It has been a long time.” She put a hand to her chest and smiled warmly. “Cheng Sabine.”

Michiru hummed a bit. That last name sounded... familiar. She continued to sit there and ponder the name while Nazuna rolled her eyes and walked up. “Hiwatashi Nazuna. And this is Kagemori Michiru.” The two shook hands before Sabine gestured to the counter. Nazuna’s eyes went wide as she waved her hands frantically. “Oh, no. We don’t have any money to pay for anything. We were just-”

Sabine waved a hand and kept smiling. “It is alright.”

Nazuna sighed one more time. “Actually, we’re looking for someone.” Sabine raised an eyebrow, and Nazuna raised a hand while also getting on her tip-toes. “He’s about this tall, white hair, grumpy face, and probably wearing a trenchcoat?”

Blushing a bit, Sabine put a hand to her lips, and her smile turned apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I have not seen anyone like that.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a box, grabbing a pair of tongs, and started filling it.

Nazuna jumped a bit and waved her hands again. “But we don’t-”

Sabine silenced her by placing the box in front of her with a smile. “These are on the house.” Stunned, Nazuna took the box, and Sabine gave the two a wave. “Good luck finding him.”

Dumbly holding the box, Nazuna opened it. Sitting inside neatly placed were a dozen chocolate and strawberry macarons. “T-Thanks?”

Michiru, who’d been lost in thought through the entire exchange, suddenly went wide-eyed. If anyone could have read minds, there would have been an audible click just before she slammed a fist into her open palm. “Marinette!” The declaration was so sudden, Nazuna almost lost the box of pastries, if not for Sabine’s quick hand catching them. Missing that as well, Michiru excitedly turned to Sabine, who was raising an eyebrow at her. “Do you happen to know Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

Sabine looked startled as she started to walk around the counter. “How do you know my-?”

The door to the bakery opened and a groan came from the person entering. “Ugh ... Si j'ai plus de devoirs, je vais les perdre...” 

Michiru turned around and smiled, giving a wave to Marinette the moment she saw her. Unfortunately for her, the girl was tiredly rubbing her face too much to notice.

Still looking skeptically at Nazuna and Michiru, Sabine walked up to “Marinette, tu connais ces deux-là?”

Marinette looked up and only then noticed the two beastmen. Her eyes widened in surprise as Michiru kept smiling at her. “Michiru!?”

“Hey!” Michiru shouted, only to get dragged back down to earth by Nazuna pulling on her ear. “OW! Nazuna, what was that for!?”

“You could show some basic manners if you don’t want me doing that again,” Nazuna grumbled. The two were cut from their brief argument by the sound of giggling, which brought them back to Marinette, who was trying and failing to hide her smile behind a hand. 

Sabine raised an eyebrow at her daughter and crossed her arms. “Vous savez que c'est impoli de rire, Marinette. Maintenant, comment connaissez-vous ces deux?”

Marinette blushed a bit and looked slightly ashamed as she looked down at her shoes. “Désolé maman.” Looking back up, Marinette pointed at Michiru. “En fait, je ne connais que Michiru. Nous avons couru dans l'autre lors de la dernière attaque Akuma. Je ne sais pas qui est son amie.”

Sabine turned to the two and raised an eyebrow. “She says she met you during an Akuma attack?”

Marinette’s jaw dropped as she stared at her mother. “Vous connaissez le japonais?” 

Her mother just winked at her, “Je sais beaucoup de choses. J'avais une amie qui était du Japon quand j'étais plus jeune, et elle a proposé de m'enseigner.” Sabine paused for a moment, frowning as she noticed Marinette was alone. “Où est Alya? Elle n'est pas venue avec vous?”

Marinette sighed and shook her head. “Non, elle devait rester et aider Mme Bustier.”

“Je vois.” Sabine let out a long-suffering sigh before turning back to Michiru. “Now, my question?” 

"Oh! Right.” Michiru blushed a bit and rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, it was kinda the first one I’d ever seen, and I was busy running away when I ran smack into Marinette.” She paused for a moment before perking up. “Wait a sec! She hasn’t met you yet, Nazuna!”

Nazuna looked between Michiru and Marinette before deadpanning. “I think we just did, Michiru.”

“But she doesn’t know who you are yet!” Michiru grabbed Nazuna by the arms and spun her around, making the poor girl stand stiff as she blinked in surprise. Michiru zipped up beside her and gestured at her friend while looking Marinette in the eye. “Hiwatashi Nazuna!”

Marinette laughed again at the two before giving a wave. “Bonjour, Hiwatashi Nazuna.” She looked up at her mother and pointed at the food under the counter. “Pensez-vous que nous pourrions les inviter à déjeuner?”

Sabine sighed a bit but kept her smile. “She wants to know if you’re free for lunch.” 

Michiru’s stomach answered for them.

* * *

Shirou followed the scent trail of the two men to an elevator. It would take too long to wait for it to come back from wherever it had gone, so he pulled the doors open and looked inside. He was a little surprised to see just how far down the shaft went and could see the elevator resting four stories below.

It barely phased him when he jumped down and grabbed onto the cable to slide to a stop. Pulling up the emergency escape panel, he looked inside and saw nobody, but he could hear two men outside the door. He hopped down, landing with a small thud before cracking his neck. The sound of the two goons jumping in surprise and guns being armed made him smile, just a touch.

Jumping to the side the moment the doors opened, Shirou swung himself out using the edge of the door. His swing let him kick one of the goons in the face, breaking his nose and sending him flying into a concrete pillar. For the other guy, he let out a fearful gasp before readying his rifle, only to have it ripped from his hands and the butt slammed into his jaw, knocking him into the elevator. Shirou grabbed the first one, pulling him from the now cracked cement, and threw him into the lift on top of the second before letting the doors close.

He took another deep breath to steady himself and find where the scent had gone off to. He could smell a few more henchmen than before had all gone down a hall towards his left. Running, he followed his nose down the path, stopping at a room a few doors down.

Peeking inside, he could see a group of at least eight men surrounding something. 

“Well, this certainly is interesting.” The suit from earlier was raising an eyebrow before he stepped closer and smirked. “Liking the new look, Bourgeois. It certainly is something else.” He reached down, and there was a tearing noise as he ripped something away, making someone let out a pained cry. 

That something was likely duct tape, as Shirou finally heard what Chloé Bourgeois sounded like. “You’ll pay for that! My daddy is probably tearing Paris upside down to-”

The suit backhanded her. “Shut up.” He stepped back and adjusted his glove before sneering. “As for your ‘Daddy,’ he knows full well where you are.”

“W-What?”

Shrugging a bit, he looked down at her with a smirk. “So does your lovely mommy, to be honest.” The men around her laughed as he knelt down in front of her. “When she heard about _this,_ well, she should be here soon to tell you herself what she thinks.”

“Y-You’re lying.” Chloé spat back, struggling. Shirou was about to go in when he heard a door on the other side open. The clacking of heels on concrete echoed as a woman entered the room and looked down at Chloé with a raised eyebrow. 

Chloé’s voice was barely a whisper. “Mommy?”

Audrey Bourgeois scoffed from behind her oversized sunglasses as she looked away and pointed at the suit. “What exactly did you imbeciles do to cause this?”

The suit suddenly looked nervous. “N-Not us, boss. Promise!”

One of the other guys shakily nodded. “Yeah! S-She started to bang into the door when-” 

“Useless, utterly useless.” Audrey rolled her eyes before pulling out a pistol and shooting the man in the head. “I didn’t ask you to speak,” she said while looking down at the grey matter that was splattered across the floor. Chloé screamed at the sight of his body, landing on the ground at her feet. “Quiet, you stupid girl.” Placing the pistol in the suit’s hands and having him clean the blood off of both it and her hand, Audrey's glare mercilessly bore down on Chloé. “Did you really think that the stunt you pulled would go unpunished? Do you have any idea what you’ve cost us?” From the sounds of gagging, Shirou guessed Chloé was ready to vomit and was at a loss for words. Audrey slapped her across the face again, and once her hand was clean, she inspected her nails. “Millions of Euros is what.” The woman snarled as she slapped Chloé again. “We had such a lucrative operation going on, and you just had to ruin it like you do everything else!”

“What are you talking about?” Chloé asked with a tremble in her voice.

“Gambling.” Her mother answered with barely a care. “All bets placed solely on who would be Akumatized next, and who would cause it. The profits were more than enough to help that bumbling politician you call Daddy bribe who he needed to.” Audrey reached down and grabbed Chloé’s face, pulling her up slightly. “You were our most profitable source of income, even if you didn’t know it. All you needed to do was continue to be the spoiled brat you are.”

“You...” Chloé’s voice fell as she was tossed back, and the goons pulled more duct tape out.

“It doesn’t matter now, though. With you willingly helping that psycho, all the gamblers are going to think the odds are rigged and our turnout will be ruined, utterly ruined. On top of that, André’s chances of reelection are non-existent, so there’s no point staying here in Paris anymore.” She waved a hand at one of the men and started to saunter off. “Someone go make sure that worthless butler is disposed of along with that pile of waste on the floor. We don’t need anyone letting what happened under here go public.” Turning on her heel, she started for the door. “And get her ready for transport. The sooner we arrive in New York, the sooner I can have her skinned.”

“WHAT!?” Chloé let out one last scream before the tape was back over her mouth.

Her mother just stopped at the door and sighed. She looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. “Did you think you were worth anything else? Look at yourself, you little freak. Your skin’s the only part of you that has any value anymore.” Leaving the room, her mother didn’t spare another glance behind herself. “Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” The click of the bolt sent a wave of finality through the room. 

The goons all chuckled a bit, reaching down and grabbing her. “Well, you heard her. I wonder what the boss will make out of her? Maybe a nice tote bag.”

Shirou narrowed his eyes as the goons started to pull Chloé away, getting ready to charge in.

That’s when he saw a grey tail amongst their legs.

[Shirou’s snarl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG5tO-9eLN4) as he shifted into his wolf form sent a shiver down everyone’s spines.

The men all looked around in surprise, drawing various guns. “Who’s there!?” A shadowy blur moved overhead. The lights were smashed one by one until only a single lamp illuminated the room. “Show yourself, you son of a bitch!”

“ _Humans._ ” Shirou blurred through the room, picking one of the goons out of the pack and slamming him into the far wall hard enough to crack the cement. “ _No, less than human._ ” A second goon was picked out of the bunch, making them gasp in fear as he disappeared into the darkness. “ _You, who would profit off of the torture of innocents._ ” Only three goons were left after another was pulled away, the sounds of his pained screams, making them all flinch.

“Where is he?” One of the three holding a shotgun looked around frantically, firing a few shots at random and hoping for the best. “Where the fuck is he!?”

The gun was grabbed out of his hands and slammed into his face, knocking the man onto his back. The last two froze in fear as Shrou’s snarling visage was brought to light. “ _You bastards are not even worth using my claws on._ ” Holding one hand up in the air, his fangs bared into a twisted smile as he clenched his grip. “ **_My fists will be more than enough!_ **”

The suit who led Shirou down here unwittingly aimed his pistol. “Y-You son of a b-” A fist collided with his gut, making him fly back and land on the ground with a thud. The second readied his rifle at Shirou, only to have it knocked down as he fired, peppering the cement floor. Shirou’s fist connected with his jaw, knocking a few teeth loose and sending him into the air.

The one who’d been knocked onto his back scrambled to his feet and pulled a knife. He rushed over to where Chloé was and put the knife to her throat. The room was too dark to make out much detail, but her whimpering was enough. “Back off unless you want the bitch to die!”

Shirou’s hackles rose as he moved. The goon only saw a blur before Shirou’s hands were around his head, and his knife was clattering to the ground. “ _If a beastman couldn’t get away with that._ ” Throwing the goon into the air, Shirou pulled back his fist. “ _What makes you think a_ **_human_ ** _could?”_ His fist slammed into the goon, sending him into the ground hard enough to bounce back up into the air. On the rebound, Shirou’s leg kicked out and sent the man soaring into the far wall.

With all the goons unconscious, Shirou took a moment to let out a long breath before turning to the young girl behind him. Her seat was still slightly in the shadows, so he had to step closer.

That was when Shirou finally got a good look at the girl, and his eyes widened momentarily. 

The most about her that still resembled the photo he retrieved from her school was her blonde hair, though her usual hairstyle had long been ruined. Her pale skin had been replaced with a coat of grey fur, and she had sharp claws on her hands. Small rounded ears poked through her hair. What angered him the most was the blood coming from a gash under her eye and possibly her lip from under the duct tape. Her wrists and ankles were handcuffed to a metal chair.

Carefully, he knelt down and reached towards her. When she flinched, he paused his advance. “I’m going to take that off of you. It will probably hurt, but bear with me.” With just enough care, Shirou removed the tape from her mouth, grimacing at the sight of some fur being taken with it. Looking down at her wrists, he grabbed the cuffs and frowned.

She was still looking at him, a mixture of fear, awe, and hope in her eyes. “Who are you?”

“Shirou Oogami.” He pulled on the metal around her wrist, and she flinched as it snapped under his grip. As he moved to the other ones, she held as still as she could. 

As the final cuff was broken, she made no move to stand up and continued to stare at Shirou. “Why are you helping me?”

“I swore I would protect all beastmen. That's all the reason I need." He had his usual scowl on his face again as he pulled out the photo, just to double-check. "Are you Chloé Bourgeois?” When she hesitantly nodded, he hummed. “Then once we're out of this place, I need to talk to you in regards to several things.” Glancing over his shoulder when he heard one of the goons start to groan. He started to walk away before looking over and noticing she hadn’t started to follow. “Well?”

“Wait!” She hastily stood up and stopped just shy of running into him. “What about Jean?”

Shirou raised an eyebrow. “Jean?”

Chloé nodded. “He.. he was a butler that worked at the hotel. Daddy made him wait on me, hand and foot. He had followed them when they...” She looked down and started to hug herself, losing the words.

Even unspoken, Shirou understood what she had meant. “I see.” A commotion could be heard from the far side of the room, making both of them turn to look for a moment. Grabbing Chloé’s arm, Shirou ran for the door he came from and growled under his breath.

“He’s got the girl!” A gunshot rang out as it impacted the wall, making Chloé scream and duck as they ran. “We’ve got a situation. Someone’s in here, and they have the brat!”

 _Damn it. Now they know I’m here._ Shirou mentally cursed as he found a stairwell. Kicking open the door, he turned to Chloé and grabbed her by the waist. “Hey! What do you think you’re-!” He hefted her over his shoulder and started leaping up the stairs. On the ground floor, he tried to open the door, only to find it locked. A swift kick to the handle made the door smash open, and several people gasp in surprise and fear.

Shirou didn’t care as he rushed over to a closet and put Chloé inside. “Stay here.”

“What!? This place is filthy! Why should I-!” Shirou shut the door on Chloé’s rant and pressed his head against the wood.

"Because it's safer in there than anywhere else right now," Shirou said before he ran back down the stairs. Closing his eyes, he followed the scents to see if he could find where they were keeping the butler.

It didn’t take him long before he found a room with two men that looked a bit tougher than the others. Inside, they were busy beating someone who was chained to a bed frame. “Who is he!?”

“Who... is who?”

Another fist flew into the beaten man’s face. “The guy who followed you! The one who just demolished a third of our guys!” He pulled the poor man up as far as the chain would allow and snarled into his face. “Either you tell me, or I’ll-”

Shirou entered and swept the other torturer’s legs out from under him, flipping him upside down. Once he was airborne, Shirou stomped his jaw, embedding his head into the floor. The one who had the beaten man by the shirt spun around, only to get a fist to the face that knocked him out cold.

The beaten man, who Shirou noted, was in a butler’s outfit, and he looked up at him in surprise. He stood, as best he could with the chains hindering him and frowned. “Is Mlle. Bourgeois, alright?”

Shirou was impressed that his first concern was Chloé but didn’t let it show. Instead, he just nodded slightly. “She’s upstairs for now.” He grabbed the chains keeping Jean tied to the bed and ripped them apart. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Thank you, Monsieur.” Jean tried to bow but stumbled and almost fell. Shirou caught him, and he nodded.

Shirou was lucky that he managed to get back to the stairwell without being spotted. However, when they opened the door, a group of men came around a corner down the hall and started to open fire. He shoved Jean in and ducked in after him, slamming the door shut. “That won’t hold for long.”

The two made their way to the ground floor, where Shirou was alerted to the sounds of sirens. _Someone called the police, good._

Exiting the stairwell, Shirou saw several police officers trying to open the door to the closet Chloé was locked in. “Officers.” When they turned to see Shirou, a lot of them flinched back in surprise. He walked over to them, and Jean was pulled away by the emergency responders. “He’ll need medical attention. As will the men you’ll find downstairs.”

While some officers started calling for an ambulance, one officer looked at him suspiciously and narrowed his eyes. “Have I seen you before?”

Shirou shifted back into human form but held his scowl. “I did help with one of those... Akumas, was it?”

The officer’s eyes lit with recognition, and he hummed. “So, you did.” Shirou nodded and walked over to the supply closet. “Hey! What do you think you are-!?”

Knocking on the door, Shirou leaned close. “I’m here. You can open the door now.”

The officers were surprised to hear something clatter to the floor before the door swung open. Chloé was eyeing the police officers with distrust before locking onto Shirou. The moment she saw him, she hid behind him like a frightened child.

Shirou couldn’t blame her.

The officer looked at her in surprise, taking in her new appearance but not recognizing her. “What in the world?” 

“I would explain, but we don’t have the time.” Shirou gestured to the stairs again, where some officers were starting to head downstairs. “I’ll tell you everything I know about what happened down there, but first, we need to ensure that Mlle. Bourgeois is somewhere safe.”

“Did you say-!?” He looked down at Chloé again, recognition dawning on his face, before he scowled. “You’re right. This conversation can wait. I can take us to the station, and we can talk there.”

Shirou started to follow the officer but stopped when he felt Chloé holding onto his coat. He glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow before she shook her head. “Not him. He was supposed to be my parole officer.” Shirou stiffened for a moment before nodding. For this to be completely unnoticed as long as it had been, something had to be up.

Shirou started for the door. Chloé walked close behind him before taking her to an ambulance instead of the police cruiser. She was confused as he helped her get inside before looking at the driver. “Can I borrow a phone?” The dumbfounded man blinked a few times before handing over a smartphone, which Shirou passed to Chloé. “If you can remember their number, call someone you trust completely.”

Chloé looked at him in shock before looking down at the phone. “Someone _I_ can trust? There’s not a single person in Paris that even trusts _me._ ” She stared down at her hands again and scowled. “And what the _hell_ _am I?_ Some kind of weasel?”

Shirou sighed a bit through his nose. “Then, call someone you know it’s safe to stay with.” Looking over her appearance, he also raised an eyebrow. “Also, you're a Mink.”

Looking at the phone numbly, Chloé grimaced before letting out an insufferable sigh. “Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” She started typing in a number and scowled. “I can’t believe I’m calling _her._ ”

The phone rang for a moment before on the third ring, someone picked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was struck with an unnatural amount of motivation to write this at 11:30, and it got me through ALL of the stuff I was missing and dramatically increased the word count for this chapter. So much so, I cut it into two sections instead of my usual three. Be glad, and consider this an early Halloween treat from yours truly!
> 
> Also, Mink Chloé Shenanigans ahoy


	13. News Stations, Sanctuary, and Shadow Moth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Michiru learn about what happened at City Hall, Shirou brings Chloé somewhere safe, and Gabriel Agreste tries out something new.

When Marinette came home for lunch, she certainly wasn’t expecting to learn that her mother knew Japanese. She also wasn’t expecting to see Michiru again, or even for the Japanese girl to remember her for that matter. Yet seeing how enthusiastically she introduced her friend, Nazuna, Marinette couldn’t help but laugh a little. It was a complete 180 from how it was becoming friends with Kagami.

Nazuna did look a little annoyed, but with Michiru bouncing around like an excited puppy, Marinette could understand.

It was almost like dealing with an excited Alya, just with less yelling. She really wished Alya hadn’t been asked to stay behind by Mme. Bustier, but that’s what happens when you don’t pay attention in class. 

She also hoped Alya would get her phone back without anything crazy happening.

But that wasn’t too important at the moment. Right now, Marinette was happy that her mother was acting as an impromptu translator between her and Michiru, letting the two of them know each other better. “So, what kinds of things did you enjoy back in Japan?”

Sabine sighed a bit from her spot at the end of the table and looked over at Michiru. “Nihonde wa don'na katsudō o tanoshinde imashita ka?”

Michiru pondered the question for a moment, nibbling on a macaron before shrugging a bit. “Ē to... Watashi wa basukettobōru o suru no ga sukidesu. Shikashi saikin watashi mo yakyū o hajimemashita.”

“She likes basketball, though she recently started playing baseball.”

“I figured it’d be something sporty.” Marinette smiled while taking a bite of a strawberry macaron. She slipped a second one down to her purse, where Tikki gratefully took it and started eating.

“Anata wa dōdesu ka?” Michiru asked with a smile, her chocolate macaron already gone as she licked her fingers. “Nani o suru no ga sukidesu ka?”

Sabine raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Marinette. “She wants to know what you like to do.”

Marinette suddenly started to feel a bit self-conscious and rubbed her arm. “Oh, uh... I guess you could tell them.” 

Michiru looked confused for a moment before Sabine smiled over at her. “Marinetto wa kaishi fasshondezainādesu. Kanojo ni wa sudeni sūnin no jōren kyaku ga imasu.”

Nazuna perked up from her food and looked surprised. “Hontōni!?”

When Sabine and Marinette looked confused, Michiru perked up and jabbed a thumb at her friend. “Nazuna wa animashiti-hatsu no poppuaidorudesu. Kanojo wa tsugi no kōen no tame ni doresu o tsukuru hito o sagashite imashita.”

Sabine perked up a bit and turned to Marinette excitedly. “It looks like you’ve made friends with  _ another _ celebrity, Marinette.”

“Wait, what!?” Marinette squeaked before looking at Nazuna in surprise.

“Mmhm.” Sabine smiled coyly. “Nazuna here is a pop idol who’s been getting very popular. She even is looking for someone who could make her next dress.”

Marinette looked down at her food. “I’ve never designed a pop idol dress before.” Soon enough, she was muttering under her breath and counting off things on her fingers.

Nazuna frowned a bit as she noticed how nervous Marinette was getting. “Subete mondainaidesu ka?”

Sabine nodded and gave a small wave. “Mari netto wa anata no tame ni doresu o tsukuru no ni nani ga hitsuyō ka o kangaete iru dakedesu. Kanojo wa kore made poppuaidoru no doresu o tsukutta koto ga arimasen.”

Marinette’s phone started to ring, and she paused. Taking her phone out, she looked down at the screen in confusion. She was getting a call, but it wasn’t a video call, as usual. “I don’t recognize this number.” She got up and looked at her mom. “I’ll be right back.” She walked to the other side of the dining area and answered. “Hello?”

The line was silent, aside from some background noise, until the other end barely managed a whisper.  _ “...Hey.” _

Shock ran through Marinette as she gripped the phone a bit tighter. “Chloé?” Marinette’s shock gave way to confusion. Chloé shouldn’t have even been able to call her. She’d watched that day when Chloé was hauled out of class, how Mayor Bourgeois had made a show of smashing her bully’s old phone in front of her peers. “How are you-?”

_ “Look, Dupain-Cheng, it isn’t important how I’m able to call you right now.” _ Chloé snapped before she sighed.  _ “I... I need your help. Do... do you think your parents would be okay with me... being at the bakery?” _

Without realizing it, Marinette was starting to pace. “Not important? Chloé, you shouldn’t even be allowed out of your room! How would you even  _ get _ here?”

The fact Marinette could hear the trembling in Chloé’s voice made her stop.  _ “Tell that to my mother.”  _

A familiar feeling started to creep up Marinette’s spine. Usually, she felt it when something was going out of her control with her own life. She was always concerned about her friends and the problems they went through. However, she never felt this sheer force of anxiety over them. Marinette could swear she felt her heart stop from the worry it brought. “Chloé... are you alright?”

The line was silent for a time before Chloé answered with barely a whisper.  _ “...No. I’m not.” _

The words felt like a brick. Never in her life had Marinette ever heard Chloé sound so vulnerable. She thought in silence about just what could have happened to make someone as strong as Chloé break. Any normal person would have told their tormentors they deserved it and how they had that kind of karmic retribution coming, even if they didn’t know what it even was.

However, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, Marinette was not a normal person. 

“Okay, I’ll... see what I can do.” Marinette sighed, sparing a glance to where her mother and new friends were busy chatting. She knew she would have to ask them, but this was going to be an awkward conversation, even if she knew that her parents would likely agree. There was another problem that came to mind, though. “I’ll have to ask my parents, but how am I going to let you know what they say?”

Chloé sighed on the other side of the call.  _ “You’ll get that chance pretty soon. Just, please don’t look at me.” _

“Chloé, what do you-?” The line clicked, and Marinette pulled the phone from her ear. “She hung up.” She wondered what Chloé had meant by that. Was she going to be here soon? How was she going to even get to her place without being seen?

She was so lost in her thoughts that her mother looked at her with concern when she sat down. “Marinette, is everything alright?”

Marinette shook her head with a frown, looking up from her thoughts. “That was Chloé.” Sabine’s eyes shot open, and her jaw dropped, making Michiru and Nazuna share a confused glance. “She sounded... scared.”

Suddenly, both Marinette and Sabine’s phones started to go off, making them jump in surprise. Sabine pulled hers out and frowned. “An emergency news broadcast?” Sabine shared a look with the girls before she looked at Michiru and Nazuna, ready to translate.

_ “Don’t be bemused; it’s just the news. This is Nadja Chamack reporting live from City Hall.” _ Nadja Chamack stood exactly where she said she was. Still, unlike usual, her pleasant smile was replaced with a serious frown.  _ “While I wish today's story were happier, that will not be the case.” _ She stepped a bit to the side and gestured to several police cruisers all piled around City Hall’s doors. _ “Just a few hours ago, police were called in regards to a wolfman breaking down one of the doors leading into the building from an interior stairwell, then locking a young girl in a supply closet before running off. While police were initially baffled, during their attempts to open the door, the same wolfman returned, holding Jean-Pierre, who was reported missing earlier today.” _

Marinette stifled a small gasp. That sounded like Shirou, but he was supposed to be talking with Chloé. So why would he be at City Hall? Unless that was where she was calling from? But that made no sense either. She was supposed to be under house arrest! But... but Chloé sounded scared. Then there was Jean-Pierre. He practically did all of the parenting in regards to Chloé, even if it  _ was _ through bribery. He couldn’t do more than that, though, or he’d lose his job. She knew people were still upset with Chloé, but to attack a man who was just doing his job because he was near her? It just felt too cruel to be real, and she was a freaking superhero!

On-screen, A picture of Jean was shown, along with a comparison of his injuries.  _ “Jean has since received medical attention, along with the young girl in question. Both had clear signs of physical abuse, though they claim the man who brought them from below was not the perpetrator of these wounds.”  _ Nazuna was covering her mouth in horror, and Michiru looked a little pale. Marinette’s eyes got wider, and her grip on her phone got tighter.

_ “What is more shocking is that within the basements of city hall, police found over a dozen unconscious men, one deceased, and several signs of more have been present along with various illegal firearms. Amongst those found, three were on Interpol’s most-wanted list, and are to be detained once released from the hospital to face trial.” _

Marinette’s throat started to feel dry.  _ Deceased... Whatever happened down, there led to someone dying. _ A horrifying thought started to cross her mind. Did Shirou kill someone? Did  _ Chloé _ kill someone? The news, combined with what she knew, presented the genuine possibility that Chloé could have been locked in a room with three of the world’s most wanted and no way out.

The very idea made her stomach churn.

Nadja had to take a moment to breathe before continuing.  _ “Any further information is being withheld until the investigation is completed, however, due to the age and identity of the second victim. In all, this turn of events paints a worrying picture for Paris’ officials. How long were these men sitting under their noses? Did they know about it? And where were Paris’ heroes during this incident? With this unsettling information, we urge citizens to remain calm to avoid akumatization for the safety of both others and themselves. This has been Nadja Chamack for TVi News.” _

As the feed cut out, Marinette stared numbly at her phone. Where were Paris’ heroes? She couldn’t have helped with this! She didn’t even know about it! The same probably applied to Chat. She was pulled from her thoughts when her mother put an arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. 

Michiru and Nazuna were looking at each other with matching frowns. “Sore wa machigainaku Shirō no ya tte imashita.” While the two of them were talking, someone knocked on the side door. Marinette shared a glance with her mother before she got up and rushed over.

When she opened the door, Shirou stood there looking completely unfazed. Someone else was standing next to him, covered by a large blanket like it was a cloak. “Is this the Dupain-Cheng residence?”

Marinette nodded before looking to the cloaked person and frowning. “Chloé?”

“No questions until I’m inside.” Chloé pulled the blanket tighter and walked in past Marinette, heading for a backroom.

“H-Hey!” Marinette shouted a bit as she walked in after her. “You can’t just barge in like that!”

Shirou put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, and when she looked at him, he shook his head. “Try not to be upset with her right now. She has been through something that breaks most people, on top of other things, and hasn’t had time to cope.”

Marinette’s brow furrowed as she looked up at Shirou. “Other things?

Before she had time to ask what he meant, Sabine got up and stood behind her daughter, looking furious. “Who are you two, and why are you barging into my home!?”

Michiru perked up and smiled as she waved. “Shirou!”

Sabine blinked a bit in surprise before looking over at her. “Kare wa anata ga sagashite ita hitodeshita ka?” When Michiru nodded, Sabine looked at Shirou with apprehension before sighing and shaking her head.

Tom’s voice could be heard from downstairs. “Is everything alright!?”

Sabine looked down the stairs leading to the bakery. “Yes, Tom, but we have more guests.” She turned to Shirou, crossing her arms. “And I would like an explanation as to what is going on.”

Shirou nodded and saw where she’d left her phone on the table, still open to the news app. “I take it you’ve seen the news?” When they nodded, he sighed. “The unnamed victim in the incident was one Chloé Bourgeois. She had been kidnapped and held hostage below City Hall.” Marinette’s blood went cold, but Shirou continued. “I’ll go into detail with you and your husband, but what happened is not something to be said in front of children. There is one thing I need to bring up first.” Marinette jumped a bit as his attention turned to her. “You should check on her. I don’t know what kind of history the two of you have, but she chose to call you.”

“R-Right.” Marinette stepped away from the adults as Sabine led Shirou downstairs. He barked something at Michiru and Nazuna, making them both go wide-eyed. The two looked at each other before nodding and splitting up. Marinette was surprised at how fast Michiru had followed Shirou downstairs before finding Nazuna standing with her.

She motioned for Nazuna to wait just a moment before getting a nod in return. Slowly opening the door, Marinette found Chloé sitting on the guest bed, still covered by the blanket. “Chloé?” When the young girl did not respond, Marinette slowly made her way inside, leaving the door cracked for Nazuna to look in. She sat down next to Chloé and found herself at a loss for words. So, she said the first thing she could. “Are you alright?”

They were a poor choice of words.

“Am I alright?” Chloé echoed back, the blanket pulling tighter around her for a moment. “Am I  _ alright!? _ ” The makeshift hood whipped around, and Marinette found herself staring into angry, almost reflective golden eyes. “Do I look alright to you!?”

“Chloé, what happened to you!?” Marinette’s jaw dropped as she stared into those eyes. “Your eyes... they’re-” 

“Inhuman? Animal? Well, why  _ wouldn’t _ they be?” Snarling from under the cover, Chloé raised one of her hands, making Marinette gasp at the sight of the grey fur and claws. “I’ve only been turned into one!” When Chloé realized what she’d done, she cursed under her breath and tried to hide the offending appendage.

Only to have Marinette grab her hand gently and pull it back up. She was frozen for a moment before Marinette looked back up into those glowing eyes and hesitantly reached for the hood. “May I?” With a shaky nod, Chloé closed her eyes as Marinette pulled the hood back and got a good look at her. “Oh, Chloé.”

Marinette could hardly believe that what she was looking at was actually Chloé. Her grey fur felt so smooth and had a kind of sheen to it in the light. She could feel the pads that were on the underside of her hand. Then there were her eyes and hair. Both had lost their original color. Her once blue eyes were now a vibrant gold. Her blonde hair had a similar fate, and Marinette would have believed it to actually be the precious metal itself had she not known better. The gash under her eye had some butterfly bandages on it, and her cheeks had bruising starting to show.

Chloé looked away and hugged her knees. “Go ahead and mock me.”

Marinette stared at Chloé incredulously. “Mock you? Why on earth would I do that!?” Chloé stared at her in surprise. “Chloé, you’ve been through something horrible. I may not know all the details, but from what I saw on the news and what Shirou told me, I would be one of the worst people on the planet to mock you for it.”

Her staring continued for a time before Chloé let out a hollow laugh and went back to burying her face in her knees. “Why do you have to be such a nice person?”

Shuffling awkwardly, Marinette rubbed her arm and shrugged. "Do you want me to be less nice?"

Chloé scoffed a bit and glared down at nothing. "I watched my mother murder someone today... I'd rather not talk about anything."

Marinette winced and looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not as if you could do anything about it."

Nazuna continued to watch from the door before silently giving Marinette a nod and walking away. She may not have understood the conversation, but she recognized the haunted look in the eyes of the young girl.

Once they were truly alone, Marinette looked over at Chloé and frowned in thought. She had to think of something to shift the topic of the conversation. “So... you got turned into a ferret?”

Chloé leveled an annoyed scowl at her and glared. “I’m a mink.”

Marinette raised her hands. “Okay, mink.” She scooted closer to Chloé and gave her a hug. “You’re also safe here. I promise.” She paused in thought for a moment and hummed. "I think I heard Alya mention that minks were water-proof once."

A hollow laugh escaped Chloé as she gently let one arm go around Marinette and pull her in tighter. "Showering is going to be hell."

They stayed like that for a time, until an explosion rocked the city.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste sat in his office, working on a new design for the upcoming fashion show he’d had scheduled when he felt a sudden wave of negativity. This was something  _ new _ , and he had already found himself irritated from the failure he’d had last night.

Standing from his work, he walked over his wife's portrait and pushed in the code before he began to descend into his lair.

Nooroo and Duusuu looked at each other as they floated out of their hiding spots and hovered next to him. Nooroo looked fearful, but Duusuu just flitted through the air. “Will Nathalie be using me now that I’m all fixed up?”

“No,” Gabriel said coldly as he pulled the Peacock Miraculous out of his pocket and attached it to his lapel. The broach glistened for a moment in the light before Gabriel pulled down his tie, revealing the Butterfly Miraculous hiding beneath it. “Nathalie’s health has yet to fully improve from using your power in your defective state. Until then, we will be trying something new.”

Nooroo’s eyes widened as the kwami trembled. “Master, please don’t tell me you plan on-”

Once the elevator reached the bottom step, Gabriel smiled. “Nooroo, Duusuu, Unify.”

Both Kwami were sucked into their miraculous, and a mix of purple and blue light washed over Gabriel, leaving him in a new suit. The lapel still was reminiscent of butterfly wings. The tail of his coat now had a peacock-like feathering hidden within. His eyes also had changed, taking on a blue sclera and purple irises.

Looking down at his cane, he noted a fan attached to the head, coming down over his hand like a handguard. Plucking a feather from the fan and holding it in his hand, he waited for a butterfly to land on top of it before cupping them both. Both entities now were colored in a blackened purple and flew off with a flash of bubbling dark magic. “Go my Akuma and Amok, and evilize the soul I sense!”

* * *

Cuffed in the backseat of a police cruiser, Angelos Raptis growled under his breath.  _ This is all that damn wolf’s fault! I don’t know what science lab he broke out of, but I know the moment I can, I’m putting him in the ground. _ He looked around the cruiser, making sure the cops driving weren’t looking at him.

The moment their eyes were off of him, he reached into his suit’s sleeve and pulled out a hairpin. It was old fashioned but more than enough. In little time, he had the cuffs loose enough; he could slip out of them at any moment but would still look secure on his wrists.

Slipping the pin back into his sleeve, he sneered as he reached deeper and pulled a switchblade from a hidden pocket.  _ Stupid feds. Got to give the boss credit where it’s due. Suits with hidden pockets made to feel like reinforced clothing are pretty ingenious. _ He lost his small moment of joy when he remembered how useless the suit was earlier— _damned_ _ wolf. _

He didn’t even notice as the black butterfly landed on his knife or the feather that landed on the pin.

A neon purple butterfly, slightly contorted from its usual shape, appeared over his face as he scowled.  _ “Wolf Hunter, I am Shadowmoth. You have been humiliated by a single man who defeated you and all your allies. I can give you the power to exact the vengeance you seek, as well as a creature to aid in your endeavor. But in exchange, I ask two things. You must bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. _

The man raised an eyebrow and frowned. “And the second?”

Shadowmoth’s annoyance could be felt through the connection  _ “Capture the two beasts that aided in the defeat of my last Akuma. You will find they are rather close to the one you hate.” _

“Alright then, you have a deal, Shadowmoth.” Wolf Hunter’s smile pulled back into a feral grin as a cloud of blackened smoke engulfed him. 

“ **The hunt is on.** ”


	14. The Hurt, The Hunter, and The Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirou explains the situation to the Dupain-Cheng parents, The Akuma does some damage, and the Heroes get ready for a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more set up before we hit the big moments. I've been going over how the fight will go for days now and can't settle on a final verdict. If you want to help, please throw me some music you think would be fitting. It's part of my creative process when doing battles since I subscribe to the idea that all fights are a dance.
> 
> I also love it when you guys comment on this story. It refuels my motivation for most days.

Shirou, once downstairs, found a seat at one of the tables and waited patiently. Tom, for his part, looked surprised at the sight of a tall white-haired man coming down the stairs, but quickly shifted to an angry frown when he noticed how serious his wife looked.

It was one of those few moments that he was thankful that his bakery was empty for the time being.

Once they were all seated, Sabine steepled her fingers in a way that made Shirou think of Barbara. “So, would you care to introduce yourself?”

“Shirou Oogami.” He gave her a polite nod before continuing. “I work for the Mayor of Anima City.” 

Tom frowned as he crossed his arms. “I’ve never heard of a place called A-”

Michiru rushed down the stairs and took a moment to catch her breath before sitting next to him. Shirou had to take a moment to stare at her with a raised eyebrow before she shrugged. “Nani? Nani ga okotte iru no kamo shiritai nodesu.”

Sighing, Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. “Watashi wa nochini anata o kinyū shimasu” Looking back at Tom, Shirou continued. “As I was saying.”

For the next few minutes, Shirou filled Sabine and Tom in on what he saw, watching as their faces morphed from anger to shock, and finally horror. Michiru’s expression was similar as she was told in kind.

Sabine was holding onto Tom’s hand with a terrifying grip. “How... how could she? In front of her own daughter?”

Tom took a breath to steady himself before looking to Shirou. “Is this the reason you brought her here?”

Shirou gave a small nod. “From what I can tell, Mlle. Bourgeois is going to need somewhere she can hide. When I asked her who she could trust, she brought us here to your home.” He looked over at the baking supplies that littered the kitchen and frowned. “I know this will likely cause you problems due to the reasons she can’t be seen in public. One of which in particular may affect your business regardless if she’s discovered or not.”

Tom and Sabine shared a glance with each other. “What do you mean?”

Shirou looked at Michiru and nodded. “Hitsuyōniōjite shifuto dekimasu. Setsumei ni yakudachimasu.”

Michiru perked up a bit and shifted back to her tanuki form. “Ā〜 sore wa totemo kibungaīdesu!”

Turning back to the Dupain-Chengs, Shirou hid a smirk at their shocked expressions. “As with most people from Anima City, Michiru and I are beastmen. We have the ability to shift between our natural forms and a human disguise at will.”

“What?” Sabine reached over and hesitated before Michiru let her feel her hand. “It’s real...” Michiru blushed a bit and gently pulled her hand away, giving an awkward smile.

Shirou’s face darkened slightly more after he gave Michiru a nod, and she shifted back to her human form with a whine. “However, Michiru was once human, like you and your husband. It was after an incident that she and Nazuna accidentally were turned into beastmen.” 

Sharing a look with her husband, Sabine frowned. “Why are you telling us this?”

Sighing for a moment, Shirou paused before looking to the stairs. “The reason this applies to the situation with Mlle. Bourgeois, is that the individual that brought us here managed to purposefully cause the same changes that accidentally occurred to Michiru and Nazuna.”

Sabine gasped as she put her hands to her mouth. “You mean that she’s-!?” Shirou nodded solemnly, and she turned to Tom. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know.” He grimaced and looked around in thought. “The guest room?”

“We can’t let her stay here. There’s the risk of the food getting hair in it,” Sabine bit her lip slightly and worriedly looked towards the stairs. “But she needs help too.”

Shirou stood up and got their attention. “If it comes to it, I can bring her with me to the residence that we are being allowed to stay in.”

Both Tom and Sabine looked concerned as they thought over the situation. “Will they be alright with that?”

“If not, I’ll figure something-” An explosion rang out across the city, making Shirou’s head snap towards the windows.

Sharing a glance, the two bakers ran to the back of the counter and reached underneath. Tom slammed his hand down on a button, making metal shutters slide down over the windows.

Shirou gave the defenses a once over. They weren’t much, but it was at least something. He looked at Michiru and knew his next words would be ignored. “Michiru, koko ni ite.”

Michiru let out an indignant huff, reaching an arm out to grab on to him. “Daga-!” Before he let her finish, he was out the door and out of sight. Michiru let her arm fall, and her face did the same. “Watashi wa tasukeru koto ga dekiru...”

* * *

The police cruisers were scattered in the street from the force of the explosion. The one that had been destroyed rested in the center of the road, flames dancing as they entirely consumed the vehicle. From the flames' depths, a shadowy silhouette could be seen standing before it jumped into the air and out of the flames. When they landed, a man with red skin, dressed like a Viking berserker, landed with enough force to shatter the concrete below.

Slowly, he stood up and cracked his neck and adjusted the wolfskin cloak that rested on his shoulders. Pulling the hood over his head again, shadows hid the upper half of his face. There was a gold piercing in the wolf head’s ear that glittered in the light. Looking at the sword he now held in his hand, he chuckled and looked down the road, where he could see more police headed his way. “Aw, the calvary. It’s an honor to have them called for little old me.”

He raised his blade and brought it down in a blinding swing, sending a shockwave that rushed down the road, slicing one of the cruisers in half. The remains of the vehicle crashed to either side of him, and a severed hand landed at his feet. “Damn, missed.” The officer's screams could be heard from one half of the cruiser until they suddenly came to a gurgling halt. “That’s better.”

The other officers hid behind riot shields and their car doors. “Stay right where you are!”

Wolf Hunter shrugged and smiled. “I’m not the one you should be worried about.” The officer looked confused for a moment before dark jaws snapped down over his arm and pulled him into the shadowy depths of his cruiser. More officers were grabbed and pulled into the shadows that unnaturally filled their vehicles until nothing was left. Wolf Hunter looked down at his side as his shadow slunk back over to him and returned to where it was meant to be. “Enjoy your meal?” The shadow turned and twisted to show a fanged grin and glowing eyes. “Good boy.”

The shadow stretched up from his feet, forming a large shadow of a werewolf. “Now, let’s go find us a wolf, eh? Maybe some rare jewelry while we’re at it.”

* * *

The explosion that rang through the city rattled the walls. Marinette jumped to her feet as soon as the shaking stopped and looked at Chloé, “An Akuma? Now!?”    
  
Chloé just looked confused for a moment as Marinette started to run for the door. “Where are you going?”

“I, uh,” Marinette stammered for a moment before smiling awkwardly. “I need to go take care of a last-minute assignment! You remember how Mme. Mendeleiev gets.” Looking confused more than anything, Chloé just stared at her for a moment before noticing how Marinette’s hand was about to pull the door closed. “So, I’m just going to let you have your privacy.”

Standing up, Chloé started to march for the door. “Dupain-Cheng, don’t you dare-!” Before the door could shut, a shadowy mass rose from the floor and loomed over Chloé. Marinette’s grip on the door was lost as she and Chloé fell back, staring in shock. Chloé tried to shuffle away, even as the shadow loomed closer. Taking a tentative sniff of the girl, the shadow growled a bit before it lunged forward, and Chloé screamed. 

“Chloé!” Marinette reached out for her, only for the shadow to vanish back into the floor, leaving the room empty. “No...” Another scream behind her made Marinette turn around and see Nazuna getting grabbed by claws coming from the darkness under her coffee table. Grabbing a chair, Marinette hefted it over her head and slammed it down on the table, making the shadow screech and retract.

Nazuna looked thankful before her eyes moved to something behind Marinette. Quickly, she shoved Marinette away, only to be tackled to the ground by another shadow. It grabbed her by the arms and was pinned her to the floor before snarling in Nazuna’s face. Scowling, Nazuna began to spark with pink light as she shifted back into her fox form. Pulling one arm free, it grew into a gorilla fist as she punched the shadow in the face as hard as she could.

Only for her fist to sink into the shadow, as a twisted smile formed on it’s partially disturbed face. Nazuna let out a surprised scream as she was pulled inside, disappearing entirely. 

Marinette stood there, frozen for a moment as the shadow looked at her curiously before turning away and diving into the shadows. Not a moment later, Michiru and her parents burst into the room from the stairs, looking around before their eyes landed on Marinette.

Sabine rushed over and hugged her daughter. “What happened?”

Michiru looked around before seeing one of Nazuna’s shoes on the ground. Slowly she picked it up and looked at Marinette. “Nazuna wa doko?”

Sabine shared a glance between the two before putting her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Marinette, where did Nazuna go?”

“It... it took them.” Michiru suddenly ran upstairs, bolting up into Marinette’s room. Marinette started going after her shortly after her. “Michiru, Wait!” When she got up into her room, she spotted Michiru standing on the balcony. There was a flash of blue light, and Marinette’s jaw dropped as her arms were replaced with bird wings. 

“Marinette!” She spun around and saw her mother coming in after her. Sabine quickly pulled Marinette into a hug. “Please, promise me you’ll stay in your room.” Panic rushed through Marinette for a moment. If she stayed, then Paris would still be in danger. “I know you’re probably scared for your friends, but we can’t rush out as they did. We don’t have superpowers to keep ourselves safe.”

Guilt crept up Marinette’s spine as she hugged her mother back. “Okay.” 

As soon as her mother and father went back downstairs, Marinette turned to the window, eyes narrowed into a determined glare. “Tikki, Spots on.”

* * *

Shirou ran down the street, shifting into his wolf form for more speed. He skids around a corner and saw some cars piled in a traffic jam before using one of them to vault himself up to the rooftops and keep going.

A black figure started to catch up to him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Chat Noir hot on his trail. “Shouldn’t you be  _ investigating _ or something?”

“I was.” Shirou and Chat leaped over a gap between two buildings. “These Akumas are only going to get in the way if I’m going to help find Hawkmoth.” He snarled as a thought came to mind. “And with what happened earlier, I have a fairly certain idea of who got Akumatized.”

“Oh, care to share?” Chat vaulted over a chimney to keep up.

“One of the men who were arrested at City Hall earlier today.”

Chat’s face fell into a confused frown. “What?”

“I take it you haven’t seen the news.” Shirou hopped down from the roofs, Chat following him until they came to a street corner. There were two halves of a police cruiser resting against a light post, and Shirou scowled as he inhaled. “He’s close.”

Chat looked down the road at the trail of destruction. “I’ve never seen an Akuma be this destructive before.” He looked down in thought and grimaced. “The closest I can think of is Stormy Weather, but she was quite the force of nature.”

Shirou walked closer to one of the destroyed cruisers and knelt down to examine the interior. His eyes went wide for a moment before he snarled. “Now isn’t the time for jokes.”

A growl got his attention before Shirou had to quickly lean back to avoid a pair of jaws snapping down on his neck. He rolled away and quickly sprung to his feet, where the shadow creature pulled itself from the interior of the vehicle and stalked forward. 

Chat narrowed his eyes and readied his staff. “A Sentimonster too?”

It looked up for a moment before leaping out of the way of Ladybug’s yo-yo slamming into the ground where it had been. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Just in time, Bugaboo.” Chat smirked before turning to the Sentimonster with a grin. “Now, let’s put this puppy to bed.”

Shirou put an arm in front of Chat, earning a glare. “Hold it, something’s not right.”

“Clever wolf.” The three turned around and saw Wolf Hunter clapping his hands as he walked up to them, sword at his hip. “I expected nothing less from the man who took down some of the world’s most wanted single-handedly.” He looked over at Chat and smiled wider. “And you brought the cat too! This just made my hunt all the easier.”

“Hey, no need to get your fur ruffled.” Chat taunted as he redirected his stance to Wolf Hunter. “Now, why don’t you be a good boy and hand over the Akuma and Amok.”

Wolf Hunter raised a finger and tutted. “Now, there’s no need to be hasty. After all,” he waved his hand, and two more shadow beasts rose from the ground before Nazuna and Chloé were pushed out of their depths. “I’ve got a few little friends of yours-” Wolf Hunter’s monologue was cut short when he looked over and saw Chloé. His attention snapped to the shadow that had released her, and he snarled. “You idiot! You were supposed to get the Tanuki girl!” The shadow whimpered and reeled back a touch before Wolf Hunter looked at Chloé with a slowly forming smile. When Chloé tried to run, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. “Though, with you, I could keep in my boss’s good graces.” 

Chat’s jaw had dropped at the sight of Chloé. “Is that...?”

Ladybug nodded solemnly. “It is.”

Shirou's eyes narrowed for a moment. _How would she know that? The only location that I brought here was-_

Wolf Hunter tossed Chloé back to the shadow and frowned. “Put her in the Tanuki’s place for now.” The shadows both nodded and moved to a broken storefront, placing themselves over the window and enveloping the interior in darkness.

Shirou growled and stood straighter. “What do you want?”

Wolf Hunter shrugged and grabbed his sword, idly swinging it in his hand. “Oh, you know, the usual spiel. Give me your miraculous, I’ll let you fulfill your desires, yada yada yada.” He raised his blade towards Shirou and had a manic glee in his eyes. “That second part being my desire to put  _ your _ head on a pike.” Taking a moment to shrug, he rolled his eyes. “Shadowmoth also wants your little beast-girl duo for some reason. Guess he’s mad they made a fool of him last time he did anything.”

“Shadowmoth?” Ladybug whispered to herself before gasping and looking at Chat. “Hawkmoth must have unified the Butterfly and Peacock.”

Chat grimaced and risked a glance at her. “I don’t suppose you have any spares on you by chance?”

“Unfortunately not.” Ladybug readied her yo-yo and narrowed her eyes. The shadows that had Nazuna and Chloé trapped were writhing in her peripheral, and a look of determination formed on her face. “We’ll have to figure out how to get those two out of there first.”

Before much else could happen, a scream of rage pierced through the air. Wolf Hunter looked up and quickly jumped back, and Michiru dive-bombed where he’d been standing. Her gorilla fist was embedded into the concrete as she stared daggers at the Wolf Hunter. “ _ Kanojo wa doko?” _

Ladybug could already tell this was going to be a long fight.

* * *

Spinning in his chair, a scientist was idly humming. He kept it up until the doors behind him opened, and a woman clad in a suit walked in. “So, how did it go?”

She gave him a slight bow before looking at a clipboard in her hand. “The experiment was a success, sir. The viral accelerant we created proved entirely capable of shortening the Beast Factor's time to integrate into the subject’s DNA. The samples taken from the zoo helped stabilize the final results as well. As of now, Chloé Bourgeois is a Mink Beastman.”

He paused and blinked a bit before shooting up from his seat. “Wait, it worked already!?” The woman nodded, and he started to pace. “That’s actually a lot faster than I thought. I was expecting, I don’t know, a week? I mean, really, the information we could scrounge together said it took months for the Kagemori girl and her friend to become beastmen. Yet with just a little push, we shortened it down to only...” Checking his watch with a raised eyebrow, he let out a surprised hum. “12 hours? I really have to give it to myself. My expertise is truly astounding!”

The woman put the clipboard under her arm again and nodded. “Technically, the formula worked just under ten hours, sir.” A deeper frown crossed her face as she turned to face where he’d moved to in his ranting. “There is one problem, however.”

He raised an eyebrow as he turned his head to her. “Hm?”

A hiss moved through the air as she glared down at the floor. “Due to Oogami’s interference, the subject has escaped termination.”

With a disinterested wave, the scientist just sat back down in his chair. “Eh, don’t bother.”

The woman was surprised for a moment, looking at him in confusion. “Sir?”

He shrugged and went back to spinning in his chair. “No point, really. The experiment’s over, and I got the information I wanted. With a personality like hers, I have no doubts she’ll be crawling into a hole to hide anyways. No status, no money, and now no humanity? Why wouldn’t she?” He laughed a bit and stopped his chair to face his computer. “I mean, we  _ did _ set up the situation, but  _ WOW, _ I did not expect Audrey to plan on skinning her.” 

Eyes narrowing dangerously, the woman’s grip on the clipboard tightened. “If you knew already, why have me-” 

“By the way, how’s the lion doing?” The scientist interrupted without care.

The woman let out a long-suffering sigh before adjusting her suit’s lapel. “The professor is fine, physically speaking. He has been rather... agitated since the fiasco that moved the Kagemori girl and her friend into Paris.”

Rolling his eyes, the scientist just shrugged. “Oh, pfft. His little toy broke,  _ big _ whoop. He already has spares.”

A cruel smirk grew onto the woman’s face as she nodded. “Very well. I will be sure to inform him of your opinion, sir.” She pulled out the clipboard again and glanced down at it. “The second event of note, the gambling ring, is likely to end up collapsing soon.”

The scientist was silent for a moment before sighing. “Well damn, there goes a time killer. Eh, that just means I can start on a second test.” He started punching in some numbers, and the machinery around him came to life. “To verify the data and all that.”

The woman’s smirk widened as handed him the clipboard. “Then, my final piece of news may be of interest to you.”

“Oh?” He looked over the notes, and his eyebrows slowly rose.

Moving to the door, the woman’s smile slowly showed the fangs she had hidden under her lips. “Oogami and Kagemori are currently fighting an Akuma, alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. On top of that, Hiwatashi and the Bourgeois girl are both being held, hostage.”

“You’re right, that  _ is _ interesting.” He tossed the clipboard over his shoulder, where the woman caught it with ease. The machinery around him whirled, and a syringe was ejected for him to pick up. “And a wonderful opportunity at that.”


	15. Heroes, Hostages, and Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Michiru unexpectedly joining in the fight, the heroes try and handle their most dangerous Akuma yet, with mixed results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this chapter being tardy from my usual upload time. I was having a touch of trouble writing the later portion of this one, and I only figured out how I wanted it to go earlier today. That being said, I hope this is to everyone's satisfaction.

The moment Michiru arrived at the fight, Shirou’s instincts spiked. The sight of her wildly attacking the Akuma was something he never expected to see. It was completely out of character for her. She had helped him before but never had her attacks been so vicious.  _ She must have charged out of the bakery once Nazuna vanished. _ Shirou snarled and shifted his weight slightly, eyes never leaving the fighting ahead of him. “Ladybug.” The heroine turned her attention to him for a moment. “I’m going to try to get Michiru out of there. She’s not thinking straight.”

“I was actually about to ask that.” Ladybug said as she readied her Yo-Yo. “Try to keep him from destroying too much more of Paris while you do. We’ll try and get to the hostages and move them somewhere safe.” She looked over to Chat and smirked. “Ready?”

Chat twirled his baton and gave her his signature smirk. “As always!”

* * *

The growl coming from her throat felt strange, but Michiru barely noticed it. She just kept punching, kicking, and clawing at the Akuma. He had Nazuna. That’s what mattered. She just had to make sure Nazuna was safe. Her gorilla-sized hands clawed through a tree that Wolf Hunter had backed up towards, only to get stuck. She started pulling, making the wood creak in protest and caught a glimpse of the Akuma raising his blade.

Before he could bring it down, a blur shot between the two and caught him by the wrist. With a growl of his own, Shirou threw the Akuma back, where he slammed into the side of a car across the road and dented it. She stared at him in surprise for a moment before Shirou looked over at her angrily. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“I-” She stammered out as the adrenaline running through her refused to stop.

Shirou stared down at her for a moment before sighing and facing the Akuma once more. “If you’re going to fight, keep your head level.  _ I’m _ immortal, not you.” He got ready to charge in again and glanced back to Michiru. “I don’t want to see you gone just yet.”

The two turned back to the Wolf Hunter, noticing a flickering symbol over his face, before he reached up and grabbed it, snapping the image to pieces. “Tellement bon de l'avoir hors de ma tête.” He chuckled before getting up and raising his sword. “Maintenant, où en étions-nous?”

Michiru shifted her arm back to normal to free her hand and felt a spike of worry at the look in Wolf Hunter’s eyes.  _ That... couldn’t have been good. _ Looking to the tree she’d smashed, she grabbed some of the wood and started hurling it. However, before the debris could strike true, Wolf Hunter’s shadow sprung up into the air and absorbed the attack.

That’s when Shirou got an idea. “While I fight him, you keep the shadow busy.”

Giving a determined nod, Michiru shot her arms out and grabbed a few more pieces of rubble. “Right.”

* * *

Shadow Moth’s eyes widened as he watched the fight through his Akuma’s sight. These new heroes were proving formidable in their own right. He’d only thought the tanuki girl would act like Chat Noir, a distraction for some clever ploy. Yet, here she was, proving herself more dangerous than he initially thought.  _ These animal shifting capabilities. Just what kind of Miraculous must this girl have to allow her so many uses in rapid succession? _

He winced slightly as Wolf Hunter barely dodged a particularly strong punch that had been aimed at his head. He was lucky enough to see her claws had gotten stuck for a moment.  _ Even with the enhanced endurance of my Akuma aiding him, that could have broken bones if not worse. Just what is this girl made of? _ It was only when the wolf had thrown his Akuma back and into a car that he had a safe moment to talk with him. “Wolf Hunter! The tanuki is proving more of a nuisance than anticipated. Bring me the other two-”

_ “Oh, shut up.” _ Shadow Moth jolted slightly.  _ “It’s clear to me that she means something to that bastard if he’s that desperate to stop me from hurting her.” _

Snarling, Shadow Moth slammed his cane into the ground. “Your orders were to bring them and their Miraculous to me! I did not order you to kill the two beasts!”

_ “Sorry, but you aren’t my boss.” _ A sneer came across Wolf Hunter’s face as he reached up towards the glowing mask on his face.  _ “She’d pay me quite the fortune to have all of their skins. Even that Ladybrat’s.” _

There was a sudden snap within the connection, and Shadow Moth was left reeling in surprise as he stumbled back. His eyes widened as he looked out of his lair’s decorative window in shock.  _ The connection was severed!? How!? _ He snarled and marched back up to the window, holding up his cane and closing his eyes. Concentrating on the Akuma, he tried to find the severed link to pull the power back. 

When he felt nothing left, Shadow Moth grimaced. “This may be a problem.”

* * *

As Shirou and Michiru were fighting the Akuma, Ladybug and Chat Noir looked up at the mass of shadows. When Chat tried to get close to the windows and doors, wolf jaws would snap at him, nearly taking his hand at one point. “My lady, I don’t see how we’re getting inside. These wolves have more bite than bark.”

She looked around and saw a side entrance into the building that wasn’t being affected by the shadows. “Then we go around.” They rushed for the door, finding it locked. “Think you can break it down?”

“Right away, my Lady.” Chat reached up into the air and drew his arm back. “Cata-!”

“No!” Ladybug quickly slapped her hand over his mouth and shook her head. “We can’t waste your power yet. I have a feeling we’ll need it later with Wolf Hunter.”

Chat nodded before lowering his arm back down and grabbing his baton. With a strong swing, he managed to dent in the door, but it still stood. “This is going smashingly, don’t you agree?”

Ladybug took a moment to look at the hole before scratching her chin. “Just a little more, and I’ll be able to slip through.” A growl came from the door, and she jumped back, barely dodging the swipe of claws digging through the metal door. The metal gave way with a screech, and all that remained was a black void a centimeter in from the door frame. “Or... that.”

“I think we’re going to need a lucky charm for this.” Chat kept his distance from the shades, almost losing his baton to the snap of some jaws from the dark.

Keeping her distance, Ladybug threw her yo-yo up into the air. “Lucky Charm!” The flash of pink magic overhead hit the shadows, and there was a slight hiss from the creatures. Ladybug almost missed the charm she’d made as it fell down into her waiting hands. “Wait, what?” She stared at the small compact for a moment before realizing it looked like one she’d seen before.

Flicking open the wrist mirror to confirm her suspicions, she looked to Chat with a smile. “I have a plan, but we’re going to need some new help for this one.” She spun her yo-yo and got ready to leap. “Think you can help Oogami keep the Akuma busy till I recharge and get back?”

“No problem, my Lady.” Chat rushed back to the street where the fighting was going on, and Ladybug swung her way through Paris. As he went to help Shirou, however, Chat paused a bit in thought. “Where have I seen that mirror before?”

With Ladybug off to get help with the fight, Chat returned to the main battle and readied his baton. Shirou was in the middle of holding back one of Wolf Hunter’s swings, the blade caught in one hand and digging into his palm. Michiru was in the middle of throwing debris from the battle back at him, but Wolf Hunter’s shadow kept catching everything she threw. Chat rushed over and swung his baton, making Wolf Hunter lean back from the blow and jump away to avoid a second strike. 

Shirou looked at him for a moment with narrowed eyes. “I thought you were handling the hostages.”

Chat gave a quick shake of his head. “Had a problem getting to them. Ladybug’s off getting a Miraculous that should help.” His attention went back to Wolf Hunter. “Any idea where his Akuma or Amok are?”

“It’s in the item that looks out of place, right?” Shirou dodged a slice that split the road between them and kept his eyes on Wolf Hunter.

Narrowing his eyes, Chat tried to pick out the objects that didn’t fit with the outfit. “It’s probably in the gold ring I see on his hood.”

Shirou ducked under another strike and growled as it slashed through a building. “And the other?”

Chat sidestepped as a beam carved through where he’d been standing. “The sword.”

“Then we just break them and be done with this.” Shirou got ready to charge in again, only to have a shadow beast try and bite him when he got too close. “Damn.”

“We can’t break the object until Ladybug gets here.” Another shadow creature forced Chat to jump, landing on a light pole starting to precariously lean. “Besides, this guy’s not giving us a shadow of a chance to get close.”

Michiru was still throwing debris towards the fight, but as she reached for another rock, one of the shadows started to climb up her arms. Shirou saw her start to struggle and growled. “Michiru!” Shirou ran forward, only for Wolf Hunter to jump between them and bring his sword up for a strike. Shirou landed a punch against Wolf Hunter’s sword, only to get thrown back and flip to land on his feet. Seeing the shadow wolf forming behind Michiru and putting her into a headlock, Shirou snarled. “Don’t you have something  _ you _ could use like she does?”

Grimacing, Chat looked at his claws for a moment. “Technically, but It’d be Clawful.” Jumping to a different pole as a shadow consumed the one he’d been on, Chat readied his staff. “If I try to get rid of the Akuma, then all the damage can’t be fixed.” He lunged overhead and brought his staff down towards Wolf Hunter, where the Akuma blocked him and made him slide back with the force of the counter. He spared a moment to glance at Shirou, unintentionally letting his guard fall. “And I’m paw-sitively against that idea.”

Wolf Hunter noticed Chat’s attention had faltered and quickly brought his sword down towards him. The beam carved through the concrete between the two of them as it soared. Chat didn’t have time to react as he turned and saw the strike heading for him, eyes wide in shock.

Until he was shoved to the side, and a fountain of blood filled the air.

As he landed on the ground, Chat was vaguely aware of something resting at his feet. He looked down and paled at the sight of the grey-furred arm that was lying there. He felt as if the blood pooling wasn’t coming from the limb, but his own veins with how fast it was leaving his face.

Michiru had been fighting the shadow holding onto her but froze for a moment as she watched in horror.  **_“Otōsan!”_ **

Chat sat there, his eyes moving to watch the blood pour from the severed stump on Shirou’s shoulder. The girl had said Otōsan. That was Japanese for... father, right? Did that make him her father? If that was the case, then that would mean she just watched her father get his arm cut off. All because he didn’t pay attention. Because he had to get pushed out of the way of an attack. The information led to the realization, and shortly after, Chat felt something start to well up inside of him. It made him wonder if this was how Ladybug felt when he got hurt.

He didn’t like the feeling.

“You should pay more attention.” Wolf Hunter started to walk closer, sneering as he lazily twirled his sword. “You’ll live long-”

Shirou bolted forward, and with his remaining arm, landed a solid punch to Wolf Hunter’s face. “You talk too much.” He stopped for a second attack but stumbled as he tried to raise his foot. Looking down, Shirou saw the shadows clawing their way up to his legs and rooting him in place.

“Sorry there, but I figured you had some fight in you still,” Wolf Hunter laughed as he got up off the ground while rubbing his jaw. He snapped his fingers, and the shadows grabbing onto Shirou quickly began to spread over his body. “And I’m not about to let you do any of that. Now, I think it’d be fun to make these girls here suffer right in front of you.” He started to walk back towards the rapidly immobilized Shirou, and Michiru was slowly being pulled behind him. 

Before he could get far, however, Chat’s baton slammed down into the concrete where he was about to step. Wolf Hunter looked mildly annoyed at the hero as he righted the grip on his blade. “You know, it’s pretty stupid to get between a hunter and their prey.”

Chat grimaced, baton held in front of himself defensively as he watched Wolf Hunter walk closer. Just what was Shadow Moth waiting for? Even his worst Akumas never went this far. When they had even come close, that damn mask would form, and he’d give them new orders to redirect them, so why wasn’t he here? Was he really willing to  _ kill _ all of Paris for some magic jewelry?

Seeing the look in Chat Noir’s eyes, Wolf Hunter laughed. “Want to know something? I don’t think Shadow Moth realized just how much power he was giving me.” He tapped the ground with his foot, and all the shadows started to converge underneath him, except for the four holding the beastman in place. “He gave me the power to exact my vengeance on the wolf-man over there, his words, but  _ he’s _ far stronger than he looks. I made sure to keep that little tidbit to myself once I realized it. It made breaking from Shadow Moth’s control that much easier.”

Chat’s eyes widened ever so slightly. If what he said was true, then he wasn’t currently under Shadow Moth’s control? This man was willingly doing all of this?

Disbelief slowly started to bubble into a new emotion. Chat hissed under his breath as his baton trembled in his grasp. “Shirou’s right.” He suddenly extended his baton straight at Wolf Hunter, making the Akuma lean to the side to dodge. Twisting his body, Chat sent the baton straight into the side of Wolf Hunter’s head, stunning him momentarily, before swinging it back around and knocking Wolf Hunter’s feet out from under him. Glaring at the Akuma, Chat’s eyes were filled with an unsetting coldness. “You talk too much.”

Wolf Hunter got a glint in his eye as he stood back up. “Now this is getting  _ FUN! _ ” Slamming his foot into the ground, the shadows spread out around the two and forced them into a makeshift arena. All four beastmen were held in place, embedded into the mass, and unable to move on the sides. “Come on, you worthless stray! Let’s see you try and best a professional!”

* * *

On the Liberty, Juleka was sighing as she sat on the deck, looking out over the Seine sadly. Her mind refused to let go of what had happened the day prior with Lila and Rose. It was amazing how much she realized was wrong when she stopped to think about what she’d been seeing and hearing. “How could Lila insinuate something like that? It’s like she wanted Marinette to get in trouble.”  _ But that was just it, wasn’t it? Maybe she  _ did _ want Marinette in trouble. But why then? Marinette is nothing but nice to everyone. Except for Lila. But everyone loves Lila. Except for Alya and Marinette. _ Juleka’s eyes widened as she came to a realization. “The only kind of person Marinette hates is liars... and... Lila lied, didn’t she.” She felt cold as the thought sank in.  _ Marinette was right. God, I’ve been a horrible friend and- Oh god, Rose. She doesn't know yet. But how can I tell anyone? Everyone glares at Marinette and Alya now. They’re treated almost like... like how we treated Chloé all the time. I don't want to think badly of them, but... the possibility of that happening to Rose or me.  _

Groaning, Juleka got up and rubbed her face. “I need something to get my head out of this mess.”

“Then, perhaps I can help?”

Juleka jumped and spun around, seeing Ladybug landing on the Liberty with a smile. “L-Ladybug? What are you doing here?”

“There’s an Akuma near city hall that has two hostages. I need help to get them out.” Ladybug pulled her yo-yo from her hip before flipping open side and pulling a small spotted pod out. She held it out to Juleka and smiled. “Juleka Couffaine, this is the Miraculous of the Tiger, which grants the power of Subversion. You will use this power for the greater good. Upon the completion of your mission, you will return the Miraculous to me.”

Reaching out for the miraculous for a moment, Juleka hesitated just as her hand got close. “Are... are you sure I’m the right one for this job? Nobody even noticed me until a friend helped me. And... and I already let that friend down recently, just because I was scared of being unseen again.”

Ladybug’s smile warmed as she placed a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. “If there is anyone who could turn their fears into their strengths, I have no doubt it’s you. Once we’re done, I suggest talking to your friend. They might be more understanding than you think.”

Juleka looked shocked for a moment before a determined glint entered her eyes. Taking the pod from Ladybug, she pressed on the dot and watched it unfurl, and a purple ball of light spring forth.

When the light diminished, the Tiger Kwami hovered over the panja bracelet sitting in the pod. “My name is Roaar, and I’m your Kwami!”

Juleka held back a squeal that would have been more appropriate from her girlfriend before holding her hands out and watching Roaar land in them. “So, what do you do?”

“I help you transform into a superhero! Just say the words ‘Roaar, Stalk the Shadows’ to transform and ‘Leave the Shade’ to de-transform. Your special power is called ‘Shadow Step.’ It lets you move through the shadows freely for five minutes.” Roaar flew up and poked Juleka between the eyes, making her flinch, “and you better not do anything selfish with my powers. Got it?”

Nodding, Juleka slipped the miraculous onto her hand. “I promise.” She took a deep breath before holding her hand out. “Roaar, Stalk the Shadows!”


	16. Ferocious Felines, Falling Facades, and Fickle Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka gets to show off her new powers and costume, and the fight continues to rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry for the late upload. My writing schedule was completely decimated by Thanksgiving on two fronts. One, being my family's plans and the absurd about of pie we made to the point we had a pie per person. And two, my place of work was closed for Thanksgiving, so my work schedule was ALSO thrown for a loop. So without further ado, please enjoy and comment on your thoughts!

_ This is so awesome! _ Juleka thought to herself as she ran across the rooftops, easily keeping up with Ladybug as she swung by. The sun glinted off the shine of her new biker outfit, the jacket, and pants each bearing several purple stripes that looked torn into the fabric. Around her waist was a black and violet chain that trailed off behind her. Her face was obscured by a helmet that even hid her hair. It had a pair of cat ears sticking out of the top, with a violet interior. She’d taken a moment to look at her reflection in the Seine before they’d headed off. She imagined that the display on the outside of her visor was making the digital cat eyes there turn into a pair of arrows pointing up right then.

In her mind, she wondered if the miraculous gave everyone outfits based on their personalities. It also gave her a pair of tonfas, which she was pretty sure she had no idea how to use. Still, something about holding them felt... right. Like they were tailor-made just for her.

_ Is this how Luka felt? I can’t believe he got to do this! _ She frowned a bit as a small thought wormed its way into her head. Her brother would probably still do this if it weren’t for Chloé outing the previous hero team’s identities.

Kinda made her want to smack her really hard, just for karma’s sake.

She felt a small twinge at the back of her mind and shook her head.  _ No, I promised no selfishness with the powers. What would Ladybug say if she saw you take out your frustration on a civilian? _ Of course... said civilian was technically a criminal under housearrest. Juleka knew her mother would have approved, but that’s because of her more anarchistic personality.

Yeah, Ladybug would definitely say no to that plan. Letting her mind go back to an earlier thought, she landed next to Ladybug.  _ More importantly, why did he pick spandex?... is there something I’m not knowing about him that I should be concerned about? _

Juleka’s attention was brought back to the present when Ladybug walked a little ways ahead of her and knelt down. That was when the smell of burning metal reached her, and Juleka gagged. “What is-?”

“This is bad.” Ladybug looked over the edge of the roof and grimaced.

Looking around the superheroine, Juleka felt her jaw drop at the black dome engulfing a portion of the road. The surface writhed in place, and people who had gotten curious were starting to try and get closer. They quickly began to back away again when some jaws snapped at them from the mass. “What is that?”

“The sentimonster that got made to help Shadow Moth’s latest Akuma. A kind of shadow monster that can shift forms at will.” Ladybug looked over at one of the buildings next to the dome and tsked under her breath. “The hostages aren’t here... I hope Chat was able to get them free when this happened.”

“Where is Chat Noir anyway?” Juleka asked curiously. The dome flexed for a moment as if something inside had slammed into the barrier before getting pulled back. However, what was cooler was that Juleka could  _ see _ an outline of Chat in green through her helmet. She focused a bit more, and five more silhouettes showed up, each a different color.  _ So cool. _

“We’re going to need to use your power, but that’s going to put you on a time limit.” Ladybug frowned in thought. Juleka nodded, but before she could use her power, Ladybug put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll need to be careful when you get in there. This Akuma has already shown that he’s more than willing to kill people. Even with Chat’s help, you will be in danger.”

“Don’t worry, Ladybug.” Juleka grabbed the tonfas that were resting at her hips and gave them a quick twirl. “This tigress can handle herself.” She paused as she got ready to jump before smiling. “Tigress... I think I’ll stick with that.” She jumped off of the roof and did a flip before diving straight at the shadow of the building they were on. “Shadow Step!” Each stripe on her outfit flashed violet before she slipped into the shadow as if diving into a pool.

Ladybug only looked worried as she stood on the roof, unable to do much to help the two heroes. She glanced down at the edge of the dome and felt a chill run up her spine as she noticed a particular wolf’s severed arm resting there in a pool of blood.

She’d never felt more useless in her life.  _ Be safe, Chat, Tigress. _

As she watched, waiting for Chat and Tigress to finish the fight inside the dome, something on the ground caught her eye. She squinted for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. The moment she realized it was the shadow of someone on the other side of the roof from her. She ducked behind an air vent just as a syringe embedded itself into the ground where she’d previously been.

Readying her yo-yo, Ladybug stepped back out and looked to see who it was, expecting the Akuma she’d been unable to catch.

Instead, she saw a woman in a skin-tight suit, designed more like a serpent than a goat. “It seems your luck truly is your most beneficial ability.” She droned as if inconvenienced more than anything else. “Shame I couldn’t further the experiment  _ and _ remove an obstacle at the same time.”

This... shouldn’t have been possible. The Akuma was currently fighting Chat and Tigress, so how is there another Akuma active?  _ Unless...they’re not an Akuma? _ Ladybug narrowed her eyes and scowled. “Who are you?”

“I apologize, but that is none of your concern.” The villain loaded another syringe into her weapon and armed it. “What should concern you is your ability to avoid my aim.”

* * *

Shirou growled as he could only watch Chat fend for himself against the Akuma. These were meant to be shadows, yet somehow they kept him from unleashing Ginrou and ending the fight.

Worse, his missing arm was still losing blood, and he was starting to feel light-headed.  _ ‘If I could get to my arm, I could stop the bleeding. _

“Michiru.” He spoke softly to keep the Akuma’s attention away from them as he looked over at her. When she glanced over, he let out a small breath through his nose. “Can you move at all?” Michiru hung her head and slowly shook it. Sighing to himself, Shirou turned back to the fighting. “Then we’ll have to put our faith in the local heroes.” He glanced in the other direction, seeing Chloé looking down despondently.

He couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad for the girl. In only one day, her entire world shattered and now she was at risk of death a second time. She looked as if she’d given up entirely and was just waiting for one of those strikes to head her way.

Then a helmet poked through the shadows between them.

Shirou growled a bit, but the person quickly held up a finger in a gesture of silence. They took a moment to reach out of the shadows and tapped Chloé on the shoulder, making her look up and jump as much as she could in fear.

“Ladybug m'a envoyé” She whispered before grabbing onto Chloé’s arm and pulling her into the shadows.

Shirou watched as she moved over to where Nazuna and pulled her back next, then Michiru vanished into the shade with a surprised squawk. Soon he felt her hands grabbing onto his sides and pulling him back. For a minute, he felt like he was submerged underwater, until he was suddenly brought into the light.

Kneeling on the ground, he took hold of where she’d brought them and saw they were in a building far down the road from where the dome was.  _ ‘Well, that takes care of us.’ _ He winced and grabbed the stump of his arm and growled.  _ ‘Now... I just need to get my arm back.’ _

Shirou looked over to Michiru, where she was looking over Chloé in a worried manner. “Michiru.” Said girl perked up as she turned to look at him. “Do you think you can get my arm?”

“On it.” As Michiru started to leave, she paused and glanced back to Chloé. The worry on her face was palpable. Even if she couldn’t understand the language, Michiru could still relate to the girl.

It was something Shirou found endearing about her. “Don’t worry about her. Nazuna and I will take care of it.” Michiru gave him another nod and bolted out of the building. Shirou took that moment to slump against the wall and groan. He peeked over to Chloé again and saw Nazuna was already sitting next to her and offering her company wordlessly.

The lightheadedness was starting to get worse and he grimaced.  _ ‘Good luck, heroes.’ _

* * *

[ _ ‘This isn’t good.’ _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcRb2C52M7Y)

Chat slid back for a moment after blocking another sword strike, before having to jump forward and dodge the snapping jaws of Wolf Hunter’s shadows. He twisted mid-air and brought his staff down on the Akuma, only to get blocked himself. As he landed, he spun around and swung the staff upward, catching Wolf Hunter off guard and landing a strike in his ribs.

Wolf Hunter growled and swung his sword, sending a beam towards Chat, that he dodged with a roll. “I can keep doing this forever, Cat!”

Grimacing, Chat swung upward and made Wolf Hunter lean back to avoid a hit to the chin before spinning his staff and going for a side strike. When the strike was blocked and a second beam was sent his way, He rolled again and cursed silently. 

_ He’s right. I can’t break that sword unless I get close enough to Cataclysm it.  _ Dodging another beam, he winced as it came too close for comfort, nearly clipping off his toes.  _ And I can’t get close if he keeps sending those beams at me. _ Catching his breath for a moment, Chat looked at the beastmen who were stuck in the blackened wall behind Wolf Hunter.  _ I can’t even change what side I’m fighting him from without risking him hitting the hostages. _

“What’s the matter, cat? Having trouble?” Wolf Hunter cackled and raised his blade overhead, drawing in power and making it glow bright. “Then let me help you take a dirt nap!” Before he could bring the sword down, a pair of clawed hands reached up from his shadows and pulled his feet out from under him.

Chat was momentarily stunned before seeing the same hands reach from the darkness and pull the beastmen out of the arena one by one. Wolf Hunter also noticed, and his eyes went wide. “What!?”

“Hey, I might be new to this,” the two looked over where a girl in a biker jacket and helmet as she walked out of the shadow walls. Twirling a tonfa in one hand and the end of a chain-belt in the other, she strut forward with a confidence Chat normally saw on the catwalk. Letting the chain fall and grabbing a second tonfa from her waist, all of that power moved into a combat stance. “I’m pretty sure you’re fighting dirty.” 

“And two on one isn’t?” Wolf Hunter snarled before sending his shadow beasts at her. She didn’t even move, standing with her tonfas ready as the Amok bull rushed her. Her helmet’s visor displayed an unamused set of cat eyes as the shadows just washed over her harmlessly. The beast looked surprised as it turned around and stared between her and Wolf Hunter before shrugging.

Chat could practically feel the smug smirk that accompanied the raised eyebrow her helmet displayed next. “Just returning the favor.” She looked over at Chat and nodded. “Don’t worry about the hostages. All of them are currently out of this guy’s reach.”

“How Claw-ver of you.” Chat smirked as he twirled his staff behind him and crouched. “Are you feline up to a fight?”

The eyes on her helmet narrowed dangerously as she cracked her neck. “After seeing the state that one guy was in, I’m more than ready.”

Without any further hesitation or banter, the two charged.

Wolf Hunter ducked under one of Chat’s swings, only to find a tonfa slamming into his face instead. He pulled his sword to slice at her, only to have the heroine slip down into the shadows below and miss entirely. Chat’s staff came for another strike, and Wolf Hunter blocked it, only to get a kick to his stomach and tumble back.

He growled as he rolled back to his feet and pulled his sword back, only to feel it get caught in something. Looking over, he saw the heroine sticking out of the shadows and using her tonfas to keep him from swinging. Letting go of the blade for a moment, he punched her in the gut. The heroine doubled over for a moment, and Wolf Hunter brought his sword up to cleave into her. As he brought it back down, Chat slipped between the two.

And caught the blade in his right hand.

The metal slashed into Chat’s hand, splitting it down the middle and making him bite back a cry of pain. Wolf Hunter laughed and was about to boast when Chat chuckled himself and looked up with a smirk. “Hey, guess which hand turns things to dust.” Just as Wolf Hunter realized he’d made an error, Chat brought his fingers to the blade in his hand. “Cataclysm.”

The sword in Wolf Hunter’s hand looked as if it had vaporized in an instant, and a purple butterfly started to drift away. Wolf Hunter’s form melted back to his normal self, and Angelos Raptis stood there with a look of annoyance and worry. “Oh whoopie, you took my powers.” Angelos sneered until the panja bracelet on the heroine and Chat’s ring both beeped, one with far more frequency than the other. “One of you is injured, and the other’s a greenhorn. All I need to do is wait-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as a tonfa slammed into the side of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. “Man, he was getting annoying.”

Chat chuckled, even as it turned into a wince as he gripped his hand. “Aw, come on now. I wanted to hear his monologue.”

Her helmet displayed an eye-roll before she looked around and hummed. “So, why are the shadows still bending?”

“We still need to find his Amok.” Chat knelt down and started to pat him over, only to wince when he let go of his injured hand.

“I got it.” The heroine sank down into the shadows and stopped when she reached her waist. “Alright... let’s see... not there... wow, this guy has a lot of pockets... Ah!” She came back up from the ground and stuck only her hand in before pulling it back and grinning at what looked like a bobby pin turned home-made lockpick. It wouldn’t have stood out if it weren’t for the inky pulsing aura covering it.

She also may have cheated with her helmet. Being able to find things with their shadows was really cool and nobody could tell her otherwise. 

Chat looked up and saw the Akuma fluttering around in the dome, unable to leave. “Yeah, but let’s hope Ladybug’s ready to catch both of them the moment we let this down.” He held the pin between his fingers and looked over at his temporary partner for the fight. “Say, what’s your name?”

“Tigress.” She gave him a small salute with her tonfa before putting both onto her hips. “Go ahead and do your thing. I’m going to let Ladybug know to be ready.” Her panja bracelet beeped louder, and Tigress glanced down at it. “And.... maybe find a nice shadowy spot to sit tight.”

Chat stood for a minute, just thinking as he held the pin in his good hand. Maybe his lady being tired was more believable than he’d thought before. If she felt like he did from this one fight every time they had dealt with an Akuma...

Then he needed to do more to help his lady, without constantly getting injured. 

He glanced at his injured hand and groaned. “She’s going to be so mad at me for this.”


	17. Serpents, Worries, and Suspicions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru saves a superhero, Juleka helps, and Ladybug investigates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked at this chapter again, and realized I forgot to _italicize._ So that's the edit. Formatting.

Michiru ran down the street as fast as her normal legs could. She would have switched to cheetah legs, but she only had a vague idea of where Shirou’s arm could have landed when the shadow-dome had sprung around them. For all she knew, one of those shadow things could have eaten his arm! “Come on, come on, come on! Where is it?” 

She spotted something silver out of the corner of her eye and bolted closer. Sure enough, there was Shirou’s arm. Laying on the ground and pouring out a startling amount of blood. The moment Michiru got close enough, she grimaced and gagged. “Okay, how is this still bleeding?”

Picking up the arm, she started to turn back to where Shirou was when she stopped and looked up at the sound of fighting. She let out a small gasp as she saw Ladybug defending against someone who looked like the guy who brought them to Paris. _‘There’s another one!?’_

A syringe impaled itself into the ground next to her foot, and Michiru let out a small yipe as she pulled her foot away. Taking a closer look after getting behind some cover, she noticed how the... perp? Terrorist?.... Eh, she’d ask Shirou later. She saw how they were firing whatever was in the syringes with startling accuracy. It was only Ladybug’s finesse with her yo-yo that was keeping them from landing a definite hit. It also looked like her suit was doing a decent job of keeping the hypodermic needles from penetrating her body. The only problem Michiru could think of was how Ladybug’s neck and face were exposed. If her swings slowed even a little, a single shot there would still penetrate the skin.

Ladybug was also starting to look very tired.

 _‘She needs help.’_ Michiru looked at Shirou’s arm before glancing back up at the fight. _‘Sorry, Shirou.’_ Putting the arm back down, Michiru threw her arms forward and stretched.

Her hands grabbed onto the edge of the roof, and she pulled herself into the air. The action seemed to get the villain’s attention, as she turned to look at her in surprise. However, Michiru was already on a collision course with them and twisted around in the air, shifting her legs into a pair of hooves as she drop-kicked them.

The villain flew back and slammed into an air conditioning unit, denting the metal and making the inner workings scream. Whatever had happened to them was obscured by the cloud of smoke and steam from the impact.

“Qu'es-tu ...?” Ladybug started before a loud rumble came from behind her. She suddenly turned around to look at the shadow dome. The shadows ripped in place before they started to melt down into the ground.

Before anything else could happen, the same hero who had gotten Michiru and the other’s free popped out of Ladybug’s shadow and landed with a thud. “Ladybug! L'Akuma, vite!”

“D’accord!” Ladybug jumped from the roof, headed off to where the dome was. Michiru could faintly see both a small butterfly and a feather trying to float away.

A frantic beeping came from the new hero, and they both looked at her Panja bracelet, where the final stripe on the back was starting to flash. “Merde! J'ai besoin de trouver-” Her costume started to flash violet and crawl up her body. She turned to run and find a place to hide, quickly ducking behind another machine on the rooftop. Michiru caught a glimpse of violet-dyed hair as she did.

_‘Wow, they take the secret identity thing really seriously.’_

A hiss came from the villain Michiru had kicked, and she turned to look at them instead. She swore she could feel the glare coming from behind the smoke. “So... it’s down to the little Tanuki, is it?”

Michiru’s eyes narrowed as she enlarged her arms. “Who are you, and what do you want with us!?”

The woman’s hand grabbed the side of the debris, bending the metal with her grip. “Nothing anymore, technically.” A second hand came to the other side, and she pulled herself to her feet. “We just needed some of you or the little fox’s blood.” The hiss got louder as her shadow in the smoke slowly got taller. “Now, you’re just a nuisance that I plan to get rid of.”

Michiru faintly noted how the woman’s legs were blending together. Suddenly, faster than she could see, she found herself being squeezed from all sides. She let out a choked scream as her bones creaked under the force of the green scales surrounding her. _‘What is it with bad guys and choking me!?’_ Michiru’s eyes widened as she looked up and saw the top half of the suit the villain was wearing on her attacker.

Clawed hands landed in front of her on the scales, and the serpentine face of the beastman leaned in close. “I hope you enjoy your last moments.” Suddenly, a piece of metal bounced off of her head, and the beast woman flinched a bit.

“Hey!” Where they had once been hiding, a young girl in a lot of black clothing and purple-dyed hair was standing and trembling as she held a metal pipe. “L-Laisse la tranquille!”

 _‘How did they even get up here!’_ Michiru thought as she struggled to breathe. _'I need to... get free...’_

The lady hissed as her tail coiled tighter. “I don’t have time for this.” Her jaws opened, revealing a large set of fangs. Michiru tried to brace herself for the bite, but it never came. She looked up, and to her surprise, the girl from earlier had shoved the pipe into the woman’s mouth and was holding onto the snake woman’s back. Thrashing about and grabbing at the pipe herself, the villain did her best to try and get her off.

Taking that moment of distraction, Michiru’s arms enlarged again and forced the snake’s body to uncoil, and she jumped up. As her fist reeled back, the girl got the memo and fell off of the snake, landing on her backside with a small thud. The snake woman barely had time to register the fist until it slammed into her face, breaking a fang and sending her flying across the street and onto the next roof over.

As the snake woman was lying unconscious across the street, Michiru and the girl she was with saw how long she was. Her tail effortlessly reached the road below, and her hips were still on the roof. _‘I’ve always wondered what a snake beastman would look like.’_

Michiru was about to look at the girl who was on the roof with her, but when she turned to look, she’d ran off. She looked around in surprise before grumbling a bit and going to where she’d dropped Shirou’s arm. “Well, now that that’s taken care of, let’s get this back to-” She stared at where she’d left it. She stared for a good while, but one thing didn’t change.

The arm was gone.

Michiru screamed in shock and started to frantically look around. “Where is it? WHERE IS IT!?” She felt dread creeping up her spine as her tail puffed up. “Oh god, Shirou’s going to kill me. I lost his arm, and now he’s going to die of blood loss unless he turns into Ginrou, and he’s going to be so mad he’ll eat me for sure an-.” There was a shout from a distance, and a swarm of ladybugs flew by. Michiru could faintly see how the air conditioner that had been broken was not fixed. Yet, any damage that had been done across the streets by the Akuma had. The snake woman was still there, but she was slowly shifting back into her human disguise.

A thud on the roof next to her made her pause, and she slowly turned around. 

Ladybug had landed behind her and looked at her in concern. “Est-ce que tu vas bien?”

Michiru took a moment to breathe and got up. _‘She’s probably asking if I’m alright.’_ She gestured to her arm and made a slicing motion, and pointed around herself. “Arm. Severed. Can’t find it.”

Ladybug looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened, and she gave a small smile. She pointed at her own arm, and then her yo-yo, before motioning that her arm was put back. _‘Is she telling me Shirou’s arm is healed?’_

The girl from earlier also came up to Ladybug and smiled. “Merci de me laisser aider, Ladybug.”

Ladybug smiled and grabbed onto the girl’s hands. “Vous étiez une grande aide aujourd'hui, Juleka.” Michiru noticed that she also wasn’t wearing whatever that had been on her right hand anymore. ‘ _Suspicious_.’

Juleka turned to say something to Michiru, but her eyes went wide, and she looked at something across the street in horror. “Ladybug, attention!”

The heroine barely had time to register getting shoved to the side, and Juleka landed on top of her. The air conditioner behind them let out a resounding bang as the syringe slammed into the metal and embedded itself. The three of them all looked across the street where the snake woman was glaring death at the lot of them before slinking into a portal as she escaped.

“That was close,” Michiru muttered as she let out a sigh. She perked up a bit and looked over the edge of the roof, where she could see Shirou, Nazuna, and the girl Shirou saved earlier. Chloé, if she remembered right. Turning around, she gave a wave to Ladybug. “See ya later!” She quickly hopped down, using her wings to glide over, and rejoined her companions.

Today was all kinds of crazy, and she could use a nap.

* * *

After Michiru leaped off the building and flew off, Ladybug felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Juleka looking nervous. “Ladybug? Can I ask something really quick?” Ladybug gave her a quick nod, and Juleka wrung her hands together. “One of those hostages... she... Was that Chloé?”

Ladybug’s earrings started to beep, and she frowned. “We don’t have much time before I transform.”

“Did the cure help her?” Juleka stepped forward, surprising Ladybug just a bit. She seemed to notice, and Juleka blushed a bit as she looked to the side awkwardly. “I mean... I know she hurt a lot of people, but she barely even reacted when I got her out of there.”

“You’re worried about her?” Ladybug’s surprise only grew when Juleka nodded. A small smile started to form on her lips, and Ladybug sighed. “I wish I could say she is alright, but Chloé has been through a lot today, and she will need time to heal from what happened.” ‘ _And that’s not even counting her... change.’_ Another beep from her earrings and Ladybug gave a quick nod. “I can’t tell you more, but I’ll let her know you’re concerned.”

Juleka looked like she wanted to ask more but sighed and relented. “Alright.” As they got ready to leave, she looked over and smiled. “You can leave me on the street. I have a friend that lives nearby that I need to talk to.”

Once they were down, and Ladybug had left with her signature ‘Bug out!’ Juleka walked a few buildings down. Heading inside, she walked up to the counter’s receptionist, who looked up at her and smiled. “Juleka! It’s good to see you again.”

Giving him a small wave, Juleka smiled. “Hey, Ardone. Is Rose home?”

“She checked in a few hours ago.” He replied with a smile before sighing and glancing behind her. “I do hope nothing happened to her room during the Akuma just now. Those attacks of his were quite destructive.”

Juleka blushed a bit and hid a bit behind her hair. “That’s actually part of why I was coming. I wanted to make sure she was okay.” 

Ardone just smiled again and waved a hand. “Well, you know what room she’s in.”

As Juleka nodded and went upstairs, she couldn’t help but let her mind go back to her thoughts from before. _‘I need to let Rose know. I can’t let her get used by Lila and her lies.’_ She frowned as some of the lies came to her immediate thoughts. ‘ _Especially the ones about charity work. If Rose got caught up in that, she’d risk criminal charges and losing Prince Ali as a friend._ ’ She stopped at Rose’s door and sighed.

_‘And maybe we can think of a way to tell Marinette that we’re sorry.’_

* * *

A few minutes later, Ladybug returned to the battle scene and examined the damage that was still on the roof. She hummed in thought and looked at the area closer, eyeing the remains of the syringe. Much like the machinery it had embedded itself into, the needle was also broken. The majority of its contents had leaked out and pooled on the broken metal. Even after casting the Miraculous Cure, somehow, the damages from where this villain had fought were still here. 

‘ _But the cure should have fixed this, right?_ ’ She pondered as she removed the remains of the syringe and scrutinized them. ‘ _The cure reverses all effects caused by the misuse of magic. A formula that can turn people into animal-human hybrids screams magic, so why did none of this get repaired?’_

Chat landed on the roof behind her, and she turned around to face him. “It’s good to see you, Chat. Are you alright?”

The cheeky hero gave her his trademark grin and stretched a bit. “Never better, My Lady. Your cure fixed me right up.” He winced a bit and rubbed his neck. “Though, I will admit the fight got a little out of hand at the end.”

Ladybug sighed and looked at the broken ventilation. “I wish I could say the same for the roof here.” She frowned and glared down at the syringe. “I just don’t get it, Chat. My cure is supposed to fix all the damage from our fights, so why didn’t it work here?”

“What if it’s like Technopirate?” Chat asked, shrugging a bit. When Ladybug turned her eyes back to him, he raised a finger. “He mainly used technology for his attacks without any actual magic involved until after Hawk Moth helped him by turning him into Techlonizer.”

“Wait, what?” Ladybug asked in confusion. “But... the cure worked there just fine.”

Chat winced a bit and rubbed the back of his head. “Actually... I didn’t say anything at the time, but some damage didn’t get fixed. It was only what got caused by the initial fight with him that the other heroes handled. Still, with how much I was afraid of disappointing you at the time, I didn’t say anything.”

Sighing a bit to herself, Ladybug shook her head. “I know about that stuff, Chat. That was because the damages weren’t caused by magic.” Ladybug muttered as she looked down at the syringe in her hand with a new sense of fear slowly growing. “Could... could this have been done with science instead? It’s unheard of that a substance could change someone’s species with absolutely no magic involved.”

The thought also brought up to mind how Chloe was still a mink when she left her in Shirou’s care after purifying the Akuma. The cure didn’t turn her back either.

“That just kinda makes me more impressed with how strong Shirou is,” Chat added with a small frown of his own. “He was helping with the Akuma up until... uh... the arm thing happened. If that was all him, with no magic to help, then I’m glad he went easy on me.”

“Speaking of.” Ladybug turned to him with a smile as she put the syringe on the ground. “How did the fight with Wolf Hunter go anyways? I wasn’t able to hear Tigress’s side of the story because I had to catch the Akuma and Amok before they escaped, and Shirou had to get back to work.”

Chat’s face pursed as he nervously looked to the side. “Oh, it wasn’t that big a deal. Promise! Tigress really helped with disarming him before things got out of hand. I couldn’t count on my fingers how close he came to stabbing me a few times. But in the end, we got a grip on the situation so-”

"Chat, you just said three different hand puns in a row.” Ladybug deadpanned as her gaze narrowed. “Did you let him stab your hand to get close to him?” Chat nervously twiddled his fingers a bit and shrugged sheepishly. “Dang it, Chat! I told you to stop doing stuff like that! There had to have been a better way to get the Akuma! One that didn’t involve self-mutilation! AGAIN!”

With his ears folding back and his back hunched, Chat whined like a kitten. “Sorry, My Lady... I was just trying to keep our new temp safe.”

Ladybug sighed and shook her head. “Then block with your baton, not with your Chaton.”

Chat stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before a smirk slowly grew on his face. “My Lady! Did you just-”

“Don’t push it.”

“Sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a dirty mind, comment.


	18. Trauma, Concern, and more Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nazuna confronts Michiru about what happened, Marinette ponders what to do about her latest bit of evidence, and Adrien panics about what he'll say to Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay on this one. My schedule keeps getting rearranged, so keeping a set time for uploads is getting harder. I'm still aiming for the usual 1 week between updates, but there may be a margin of about a day, so no promises.

When Shirou had finished getting Chloé back to the Dupain-Cheng’s residence, he brought both Michiru and Nazuna back to the Tsurugi estate. When they got there, Tomoe was waiting at the door and looked a bit irritated. There was a staff member next to her who whispered something before leaving. After they were gone, Tomoe stepped forward and scowled. “Hiwatashi, Kagemori, when were you going to tell me you had decided to run off without a guide?”

Michiru laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head as she looked off to the side. “Well, uh...”

Nazuna just sighed and pointed at her. “She got bored.” Michiru let out a squawk of indignation.

Tomoe sighed as she lowered her head slightly. “I see.” Michiru bit back a small snort when she heard that but quickly lost all humor when Tomoe turned her head to face her. “If that is the case, then you can ask the staff next time to accompany you as a translator. Now, it is time for dinner, and Kagami has been worried about both of you. From what was said on the news, I take it you have had a long day.”

“You could say that,” Shirou muttered as he felt a vein twitch. “More importantly, though, I will need to discuss the events of today with you. Our situation has only gotten more complicated, and I need to know your stance on the matter.” Tomoe had a questioning look on her face before nodding and turning back to head inside.

With both adults inside, Michiru gave a big grin to Nazuna and put her hands in her pockets. “Well, guess we should all head in an-.”

As Shirou and Tomoe went deeper inside the estate, Nazuna grabbed Michiru's arm. “Michiru.” She was silent as she glanced at Nazuna over her shoulder. “What happened out there?” Nazuna tightened her grip slightly when Michiru tried to walk into the estate. “Michiru! Please... Seeing you act like that...” The two stood in silence, Michiru refusing to look Nazuna in the eye before a choked whisper answered her question. 

“I was scared.”

Nazuna’s eyes widened, and she let go of Michiru’s arm. Michiru didn’t walk away, though, and instead started to grip her jacket’s sleeves. “I was so scared that it would be just like last time.”

“Like last time?” Nazuna asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Over a year ago... when we changed.” Michiru flashed briefly as she shifted back into her tanuki form, and her ears flattened against her skull. “All I could do while you were getting kidnapped was... stand there.”

“Oh...” Nazuna couldn’t find any other words to say. She was still processing what Michiru was saying.

“So when I heard you scream, and you disappeared...” Michiru shivered a bit and adjusted her arms. “I felt like it was happening all over again. I felt so useless, and I... I lost it.” She turned around, and Nazuna had to hold back the small gasp at the tears she could see in Michiru’s eyes. “You and Shirou are the only family I have left. I can’t lose you guys.”

Nazuna wasted no time pulling Michiru into a hug. The two stood like that for a minute before Nazuna let out a small laugh. “To think you’re the one more torn up about that than I am.  _ I’m _ the one who got kidnapped.” It was a little longer before they stopped hugging and Nazuna smiled softly. “Feeling better?” Michiru gave a small nod. “Then when we have the time, we’re talking about all of this, alright?”

With another silent nod, the two-headed inside.

* * *

Marinette was happy that no more Akumas happened that afternoon. The entire time she was swinging back home, she could feel the welts left behind by the shots that she’d failed to block. Sure, the needles never punctured the suit, but it still bruised her arms and torso. By the time she had gotten back to her balcony, she barely had enough time to release her transformation and hide. Her parents were dubious about the story she told of having been there the entire time, and Marinette was panicking that they’d noticed a welt somewhere on her. Still, they relented after a few moments of staring at her and let her be.

Yeah, she didn’t think they bought it at all. They’re just both too supportive of her to call her out.

Still, Marinette felt a lot of genuine relief when Chloé was brought back by Shirou. She’d apparently managed to get back before them because he made sure they weren’t being followed. Chloé was still pretty unresponsive, but she at least nodded as they let her back into the guest room.

It didn’t help her nerves that Shirou was staring at her with this look in his eyes. It was like he was judging her because he knew the truth about something.  _ ‘He didn’t figure out I’m Ladybug, did he!?’ _ If he did, he didn’t say anything. He just helped Chloé settle in for a moment, talked with her Maman and Papa, and then left with the promise he’d be in to check on her later.

Either way, it was nerve-racking.

Marinette would have checked on her former bully more, but she remembered that the syringe she swiped from the battle was still sitting on her desk. She could talk to Chloé later. 

Right now, she needed to see what this stuff was. Tikki was hovering over her shoulder as she examined the syringe and grimaced. “What do you think, Tikki? Any ideas?” 

“Sorry, Marinette, but I don’t know what to make out of this stuff.” Tikki frowned, and her antenna drooped. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you with turning Chloé back to normal.”

“It’s alright, Tikki.” Marinette opened a drawer and gave her companion a cookie from her desk. “We’ll figure something out.” She hummed in thought and grimaced. “Maybe I could get someone to examine it more thoroughly? But who could I go to that could do that?”

Tikki perked up and flew in front of Marinette. “What about Max? I’m sure he and Markov could help you!”

Marinette hummed as she thought it over before frowning a bit. “That could work, but how would I explain even having this stuff? The fight was nowhere near the bakery.” She sighed and slumped down into her seat. “And besides... Max still is part of Lila’s ‘followers.’” Marinette mimed a pair of air quotes with a roll of her eyes. “I really wish Alya would stop calling them that, but it’s better than her saying they’re sheep.”

Tikki winced a bit as she glanced at where Marinette had the Miracle Box hidden. “Yeah, Ziggy really didn’t like hearing about that.”

The goat kwami’s words had been. “Calling them sheep is an insult to sheep.” Ever since then, Marinette occasionally caught him glaring at the building through her window. It was safe to say none of her classmates would be using the goat miraculous any time soon. 

Except for Marc. 

Marinette was still debating that one.

...

Okay, with how salty Marc was when he heard about her class, she could see them working flawlessly. But she’d have to  _ find _ him first, and even then, she was contemplating if she even  _ should _ . He’d been even harder to see to the point only Nathaniel could half the time. Boy was like a freaking ghost, and the last thing she needed right now was a ghost of vengeance.

Shaking her head from the stray thoughts, Marinette put the syringe into a spare plastic bag and made sure it couldn’t stab anyone through the sides with an extra cork. “I’ll have to risk it. It’s either Max or a stranger.”

Setting the bag aside, Marinette decided she’d do her school work until dinner. She’d had a long day, and the syringe could wait until she and Chat went on patrol.

* * *

Adrien was pacing once again as Plagg sat on the desk and watched him. He would occasionally stop and look out the window before hesitating and turning around and marching back towards his bed in thought. Eventually, he just sighed and flopped across his couch. “I need to talk to her, Plagg.”

“Then what’s the hold-up?” Plagg asked with a shrug, savoring his precious camembert. “Seriously, you’ve been pacing around since we got home. It’s almost enough to make me lose my appetite.” He tossed the cheese into the air and swallowed it whole. “Almost.”

“That’s just it, Plagg! I can’t just go up to her and... and...!” Adrien looked around his room as if it would provide him with the words he needed. When that didn’t work, he let out a frustrated cry as he smothered his face with a couch cushion.

Plagg just rolled his eyes and flew over, crossing his little nubs and shaking his head. “And admit that you feel bad about how you’ve been making her worry about you for three years straight?”

The pillow flew up into the air as Adrien sat up. “Yes!”

Eyes narrowing slightly, Plagg flew down a little closer. “So you’re planning on making her worry more?”

“No!” Adrien looked horrified at the idea, standing up again and walking over to his oversized windows and looking out at the Parisian skyline. “I... I can’t do that to her, Plagg. Shirou doesn’t even have a Miraculous, and he still helped us in both of our last fights. And this time, he came close to dying because I screwed up!” He let his head hit the glass and sighed. “I have to let Ladybug know that I’m not going to put her through that anymore.”

“Then go talk to her already!” Plagg flew over again and hovered in front of Adrien’s face, and frowned. “The longer you drag this out, the more it’s going to eat at you.”

"I know! I know! It’s just, GAH!” Throwing his arms over his head, Adrien walked back into his room and groaned. “How do I even put it into words?”

Plagg gave him a deadpan stare and raised an eyebrow. “Well, you could always start with a good old-fashioned ‘I’m sorry’ for one.” Pausing, Plagg looked disgusted. “Ugh... now I’m the one giving advice. Tikki needs to get her bug to drop the identity thing already.”

Thankfully for Plagg, Adrien didn’t seem to hear that last bit as he looked at the clock and grimaced. “I guess I’ll have to make it up as I go. It’s almost time for patrol anyway.” Eyeing the skylight over his room, Adrien got ready to jump. “Plagg? Claws out.”


	19. Scientific Suggestions, a Second Sleepover, and Pondering Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir have another heart to heart during a patrol and follow with a meeting with Max. Meanwhile, Michiru and Nazuna have a second, slightly less fun sleepover with Kagami. And finally, Shirou and Tomoe go over the situation with each other and conclude what to do.

As Ladybug landed on the roof of the Kanté household, Chat landed behind her and walked over. “Evening, My Lady. Is there a reason you chose here instead of our usual patrol spots?”

Ladybug nodded and reached into her yo-yo, pulling out the syringe and showing Chat. “I needed to talk with someone about getting this analyzed. I don’t have the resources to do it, and Tikki couldn’t figure anything out about it either.”

Chat’s eyes widened as he looked down at the syringe. “Not even your Kwami knew anything?”

“No. This wasn’t made by magic.” Ladybug looked back down at the glowing syringe and grimaced. 

“Then this  _ is  _ like that first fight against Technopirate after all. No miraculous cure at the ready.” Chat frowned as he rubbed his chin.

“Which is why we’re here.” Ladybug got ready to hop down until she paused and sighed. “Before we go... can we talk?”

Chat paused and blinked for a moment before concern washed over his face. “What is it?” 

Ladybug looked away for a moment before turning back to her partner. “It’s just... lately I’ve been dumping all of my worries on you. Even without going into specifics, that’s still a lot I’ve been trusting you with. It got me thinking, and I realized that I’ve never really given you the same courtesy.” She blushed a bit and rubbed her elbow. “So I figured, if you wanted to, I could let you vent about some of your own problems more. All I really know is that your dad could probably be a bit more involved in your life, but that’s pretty much it.” She looked down at her hand and frowned. “It startled me when I realized how little I know about you... and that’s not fair to you.”

Chat mused for a moment before shrugging. “I  _ suppose _ I could tell you some of my own short-comings. Just the stuff that people wouldn’t expect from who my civilian identity is.” He frowned a bit and looked to the side. “But that’s part of the identity rule, isn’t it? No details. Doesn’t help that it’s kind of unique compared to most guys our age, and you’re  _ way _ smarter than most of my classmates.” Chat raised a finger and gave her a smug smile. “So if I went into any further tales of my life, I’m pretty sure  _ you’d _ find out who I am in a heartbeat.”

_ ‘Maybe I want you to,’  _ a traitorous part of her mind whispered, and she shook her head. “Y-You’re probably right. Besides, we should focus on our current problem.” Ladybug latched her yo-yo to the roof and repelled down.

Chat stood there for a moment and felt conflicted. He’d been  _ planning _ on making that promise to keep himself out of trouble more, for her sake. But... just what was  _ that? _ First, Ladybug started asking more about him personally. Then his typically composed comrade was blushing and stuttering? And he just  _ had _ to default into his usual Chat persona again. At least he cut the flirting back a bit. Still, Ladybug wasn’t starting to hate him, was she? It was really reminding him of how Marinette used to act around him as Adrien. He was sure that she hated his guts for the longest time.

He smacked himself in the face and shook his head before using his baton to hop down to Ladybug’s side. He really needed to get himself together. The talk with Ladybug would have to wait.

At one of the windows, Ladybug waited until Chat next to her and tapped. It was only a few moments before Max Kanté was pushing the window open and blinking in surprise. “Ladybug? Chat Noir? What are you doing here? I was sure my chances of using a Miraculous again were less than zero percent.”

Ladybug gave him a sympathetic smile and shook her head. “Sorry, Max. But that is indeed the case. We’re actually here for your help in a different matter.”

Chat nodded and gave him a casual grin. “Mind if we step inside? As much as I love the night air, my arms do get tired after a while.”

Max gave a quick nod and stepped away from the window. “Of course. Please watch your step, however, as some of my projects are scattered about at the moment.” The two heroes both went slightly wide-eyed as they entered. From the bed to his desk, Max’s room was littered with various electronic and mechanical parts. So, they did just as Max asked. 

“Uh, scattered is a bit of an understatement.” Chat quipped as he carefully found some footing that didn’t have debris anywhere.

“Indeed.” A robotic voice answered as Markov activated and began to fly over to the two heroes. “Hello, Ladybug and Chat Noir! It is good to see you again!”

Chat grinned and put a hand to his chin. “Hey, Markov. Good to see you’re not Akumatized this time.”

“Oh, I agree!” Markov answered happily as he did a little spin in the air. “I must say, though unpleasant, the experience proved that my emotions are 100% real.”

Max turned to Ladybug and gave her that same confused look from earlier. “So, why  _ are _ you here if not for Pegasus?”

Ladybug reached behind her and pulled out the syringe. “This was used in the most recent Akuma attack. However, it was not used by the Akuma or any known affiliates to Hawk Moth.” She placed the syringe in Max’s hands and smiled. “We were hoping that you could help us in figuring out what this stuff is.”

Adjusting his glasses as he sat back down in his chair, Max hummed. “I see.” He looked over at his flying friend as the robot was animatedly chatting with Chat. “Markov, did I ever finish building that synthetic compound analyzer?”

Markov slumped in his flight as he hovered over to Max. “Sorry, Max. That project is still only 67% completed. We’ve yet to build a functioning scanner to continue progress, and all the data provided by your friend has proven inaccurate, only further jeopardizing its completion.”

Max frowned as he groaned. “I don’t see how, though. She said she helped with this research and that it won a Nobel Prize.” With a sigh, Max turned back to Ladybug and handed the syringe over. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the means to help.”

Ladybug caught a glimpse of something in Max’s eyes. She could have sworn there was a hint of regret starting to build, but she probably imagined it.

“Actually, we may be able to help differently,” Markov exclaimed as he flew over, drawing everyone’s attention. “While  _ we _ may not have the means to examine this, we know someone who does. May I suggest pointing your efforts in the direction of Mme. Mendeleiev?”

A smile shot across Max’s face as he sat up straighter. “That’s an excellent idea, Markov!” 

“Thank you, Max!”

Ladybug and Chat shared a look before smiling a bit. “Well, while this wasn’t how I planned for this meeting going, it was still helpful in its own way.” Ladybug took the syringe back and placed it in her yo-yo’s hammerspace. 

“Ladybug, may I ask a final question?” Ladybug and Chat shared a glance before shrugging and turning to Max as he adjusted his glasses. “I was under the impression that the Miraculous Cure would undo any and all effects of the battles you are involved in. Is this not true?”

Sighing, Ladybug shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. For my cure to work, the damages have to be magical in nature. Destroyed buildings and property damage caused by an Akuma counts, only because the Akuma themself is magically created.”

Max was silent for a moment. “So... injuries like tinnitus caused on an airplane tarmac would have been completely unaffected?”

There was a small jolt of hope in the back of Ladybug’s heart as she smiled sadly. “No. No, they wouldn’t.” And like that, another of her friends had started to see the truth through Lila’s lies. 

Chat must have noticed it as well before raising an eyebrow. “That’s a rather specific situation. And wouldn’t be on a runway like that cause permanent hearing damage rather than just tinnitus?”

“I would tell you the story, but I wouldn’t want to waste your time,” Max said sadly as he looked down. “You should hurry and find Mme. Mendeleiev.”

Without any further discussion, Ladybug and Chat Noir bid Max farewell and left him and Markov to their thoughts.

* * *

Sitting across from each other at Tomoe’s dinner table, Shirou and his host were tense. There was no food, as it was relatively late into the night, and the servants had all retired as well. Tomoe was the first to break the silence as she rested her hands on the table delicately. “I take it this has something to do with what happened today.”

Shirou let a breath out of his nose and closed his eyes. “It does.” He looked up at her after a moment. “What do you know of the Mayor’s daughter?”

“From what little interaction I have had with the girl, dishonorable is an apt descriptor.” Tomoe scowled, and her hands tensed. “Rude, selfish, the girl had no discipline what-so-ever. When news came out that she had worked willingly with a supervillain, I was far from surprised.”

Scowling to himself, Shirou pressed on. “Chloé Bourgeois was the unnamed victim from today’s incident at City Hall.” Tomoe froze for a moment, surprise on her face before it melted down into skepticism. Seeing this, Shirou continued. “What’s more, is her mother is guilty of the kidnapping that brought her there, and that is only the start of how much happened today.”

As Shirou started his debriefing, Tomoe instantly knew she would have to exercise a tremendous amount of self-control.

* * *

The atmosphere in Kagami’s room was... tense. Michiru and Nazuna weren’t looking at each other, at least not at the same time. Kagami felt out of place in her own bed as she sat and looked between the two. She had a feeling, though, as to what was going on. She just had no idea how to bring up the topic. “Michiru?”

“Hm?” Michiru turned and looked up at Kagami from her spot on the floor.

“Did today trouble you?” Michiru stiffened and turned away, which only made Kagami worry more. “I’m sorry if I seem insensitive, but you are not acting as you have previously.”

Sighing, Michiru turned back around and gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s alright. Some of what happened today were... It really hit close to home.”

Kagami paused for a moment before turning to Nazuna. “You feel the same?”

Nazuna was startled for a moment before scratching her cheek. “I...”

Pausing to correctly chose her words, Kagami closed her eyes. “You are both keeping the full truth from each other.” The two perked up and spun around to look at Kagami. “You both are avoiding something and refusing to talk. It is the most logical conclusion I could arrive at.” Michiru puffed her cheeks up indignantly and crossed her arms, while Nazuna’s ears folded back a bit, and she looked away. Seeing this, Kagami sighed and frowned. “I can also see that this is something for you two to work out without me, as it is nothing that pertains to me personally.”

Michiru’s face shifted down into a frown, and she let some of the tension in her shoulders bleed out. “Hey, um... Kagami-san?” Kagami blinked in surprise at the honorific but let Michiru continue. “I’m sorry that we’re making this awkward. It’s just that...”

Kagami raised a hand and stopped her. “Let’s focus on getting some rest. While I do not know what you two will do tomorrow, I have a fencing tournament tomorrow.”

Nazuna perked up, and her ears followed suit. “Really? Where?”

“There is a Renaissance fair being held in one of the parks. They’re hosting a fencing competition, and I’m representing our school alongside...” Kagami’s mood soured slightly as she frowned. “Adrien.”

“That’s your boyfriend, right?” Michiru winced a bit when Kagami gave her a glare.

Looking away, Kagami’s glare withered down as she went from angry to exhausted. “That is... no longer the case.”

Nazuna put her hand over her mouth and gave a sympathetic stare to Kagami. “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a bit awkward for both of you.”

“As long as he refrains from doing anything idiotic, there will be no issues.” Kagami scowled a bit as she let out a breath. “I still can not believe he is oblivious to his own feelings. It’s painfully obvious that he holds a flame for Marinette, yet he’s rejected her multiple times.”

Nazuna and Michiru shared a look with each other before Nazuna frowned and raised an eyebrow. “Wow, and I thought Michiru was dense.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Horrified was a word that could describe Tomoe after Shirou finished relaying the events of the day. “She wished to _skin_ her own _daughter?_ How is this excuse of a mother not behind bars!?”

Shirou shook his head and scowled. “You would be surprised at how much can go hidden when you cover your tracks well enough.” He frowned more as he put a hand to his chin in thought. “Being the Mayor’s wife certainly isn’t helping with getting her arrested. From how the patrol officer assigned to her daughter was nowhere to be seen during the kidnapping, it is safe to assume there’s corruption within the police. Likely some higher rank officers under an additional payroll.”

“If that is the case, then this may go beyond the city’s authority. The French government will undoubtedly come down upon them once this is brought to light.” Tomoe frowned as she tapped the table’s surface. “That brings forth another problem.”

Shirou raised an eyebrow and sat up. “Which is?”

“The moment Parliament begins to set foot in Paris’ affairs, they will likely begin a manhunt for both Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities.” Shirou’s eyes widened as Tomoe shook her head. “They are usually lax in regards to the heroes, due to how the damages so far have been entirely repairable. However, once they learn that a citizen was irreversibly affected by a villain’s actions, they will demand the same legalities that the United States does for their heroes.”

Putting his elbows on the table, Shirou wove his fingers together and rested his hands under his chin. “I take it this will also lead to them demanding possession of whatever was used to give both their and Hawk Moth’s abilities as well?”

“Most likely.” Tomoe nodded as she let out a sigh.

“Then what do you suppose the next course of action should be?” Shirou asked as he tried to put together a plan.

“As it stands, we should look at this as war,” Tomoe noted as she tapped five spots on the table. “We have three enemy factions and two allied. We have Hawk Moth, the man who brought you here, and now the Bourgeois family on the opposing forces. On our side, we have both ourselves and Ladybug’s team.” Tomoe frowned as she steepled her fingers to match Shirou, though she didn’t really know it. “As it stands, we’re outnumbered. So our first course of action would be to strike where we can to reduce their strength.”

“From what I could tell, none of them are actively working together. At most, all three are using the situations caused by the others to further their own ends.” Shirou adjusted his position in his seat before continuing. “Going for my perp is out of the question until I can find where they keep hiding or where they plan on going next. The Bourgeois family would only bring the government down on us as it stands.”

“Then it seems our choice has been made for us.” Tomoe’s head rose from the slight incline her thinking had placed it in, and she smiled coldly.  “If Paris is to become safe from these three threats, Hawk Moth must be the first to fall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY COW, this one was a slight chore to write. While I love Max and Markov, the "percent" talk they do messes with my head a bit and sends me spiraling into an uncanny valley. 
> 
> The term, not the hero. UV is a sweat heart, and nobody can tell me otherwise. Unfortunately for you guys, she's not going to be in this story as a major player. Cameo, maybe, but nothing story effecting.
> 
> On a final note, I wish all of you, A MERRY CHRISTMAS, A HAPPY HANUKKAH, A MERRY KWANZAA, and a WHATEVER ELSE YOU CELEBRATE!


	20. Awkward Mornings, Bruised Egos, and Bloody Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's deals with her newest guest, Chloé gets small talk, and Audrey proves she's horrible yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay all, this is an MLB heavy chapter. There will be more of those furry doofuses we love in the next one though

Finding Mme. Mendeleiev that night proved to be more challenging than Ladybug and Chat Noir thought it would be. It was only after two hours of searching that they both decided to wait until the following day to see if they could find her then. It helped a bit that it wasn’t a school day, so their schedules should let them have enough time to search in civilian form.

Well, at least Marinette could if she got enough sleep.

The following morning, it made itself painfully aware to Marinette that she, in fact, did not get enough sleep. She may argue that four hours was okay, but her body severely disagreed. She would also argue that was what her hidden coffee maker was for.

It was with a steaming cup of coffee that she started down the stairs from her bedroom. She let out a yawn and started for the couch. Her parents were both already in the bakery, cooking away the day to get ready for the mid-morning rush. Everything was about how her mornings usually went.

Then the door to the guest room creaked open slightly, and a gold eye stared at her from within.

“GAH!” Marinette almost dropped her coffee before getting her composure back. “Uh, hey, Chloé. Good morning?” Chloé just glared at her for a moment before muttering something. “I um... didn’t get that?”

Chloé pushed the door open enough that her head was poking out, and there was an embarrassed blush on her face. “I said I need your help, Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette blinked a bit in surprise before she set her coffee down and walked over. “Sure, what is it?”

There was a slight growl in Chloé’s voice as she turned her head away. “I need new clothes.”

Putting a knuckle to her lips, Marinette looked down for a moment before glancing up at the trap door to her room. “Well... I guess I could make some-”

“I didn’t say I needed you to make any!” Chloé snapped as she rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Ridiculous, utt-” Her voice caught in her throat. Marinette barely caught a glimpse of utter fear flash in Chloé’s eyes before her hair covered them. “Listen, Dupain-Cheng. I just need you to... I don’t know, buy something in my size that isn’t a disaster to look at. You can even... get...” A grimace twisted her lips as she fought to get them to spit out the word. “ _discounted_. Ugh, I can’t believe I just said that.”

Marinette stared at her in shock. _Chloé... accepting_ discounted _clothes?_ Despite her internal thoughts, however, Marinette was feeling remorseful for her once bully. As much as she’d made her life miserable, Chloé’s pride and self-confidence were traits Marinette had admired even if they were taken to extremes over some of the silliest things.

Of course, they were only thirteen back then, so it didn’t seem as silly at the time.

So it was with a smile and a hand over her heart that Marinette looked to Chloé. “I’ll do what I can. I promise.” Chloé didn’t say anything else as she shut the door, leaving Marinette alone once more. With a sigh, she turned around and headed towards the stairs.

Feeling a nudge from her purse, Marinette looked down as she opened the bag. “So what are you going to do about this?” Tikki asked with a concerned glint in her eyes.

Marinette hummed as she thought it over, heading down into the main dining area. “Maybe I can ask Adrien to help fund a shopping trip? He does have the most money out of all of us.” Grimacing, Marinette thought it over and didn’t like the implications. “But I don’t want to come across as using him like that.”

Tikki shrugged as she tilted her head. “You could explain what happened to Chloé. That might get him to help.”

Considering the idea, Marinette soon didn’t like it very much. “I... I don’t know.” It just didn’t seem like a good idea at all. Chloé was supposed to be hiding here, not having old friends show up at a whim. She didn’t even know how Adrien felt about Chloé right now. For all she knew, any shred of their old friendship could have been lost due to what happened and-

“Hey, Marinette!”

“GAH!” Marinette almost fell as she turned around with her arms flailing. As she was about to hit the floor, she felt someone grab onto her wrist and stop her. She looked at who had saved her, and Adrien was staring right back, a mild look of surprise across his face. “Oh, uh, Hey, Adrien. How’s going its?” She blushed and quickly got back to her feet properly and rubbed the back of her head. “I mean going it’s how!” Her blush only got hotter as she turned away and let out a strangled noise of frustration. Adrien just raised an amused eyebrow as she turned back around and took a deep breath. “How’s it going!” Letting out a long sigh, Marinette rubbed a hand down her face. “Sorry. You startled me.”

Adrien, for his part, just rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Sorry about that. I just asked the Gorilla if we could stop here for a bit. It helps that he loves your parent’s Éclairs because I needed to have a moment to breathe.” 

“We’ve got a few ready.” Marinette looked over at the counter, where her Maman had caught the tail end of their conversation, and handed over a bag that already had éclairs and croissants packed and ready. With a small smile, Marinette handed them over and tilted her head. “But seriously, how have you been?”

A sigh of his own slipped out of Adrien as he slumped forward a bit, rubbing his neck again. “Honestly, I’ve been better.”

Marinette frowned and hesitated a bit as she handed him his food. “Did something happen?”

Adrien winced as he looked to the side. “Well, Kagami kinda broke up with me.” As Marinette’s jaw dropped, he sighed and gave her a strained smile. “It really doesn’t help that I have to team up with her in a fencing tournament today.”

Looking down for a moment, Marinette’s mood had quickly dropped. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Why? Why was her luck so god-awful that within a few weeks of her giving up on Adrien, he’s suddenly single again? Worse, she couldn’t decide what she should be feeling. There were just too many emotions to pick from. In the end, though, she eventually fell towards remorse. After all, Kagami was also her friend, and that only made the situation more painful. “I’m sorry.”

Adrien tilted his head as he raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

“It’s just that you two seemed happy with each other.” Marinette shook her head and looked up again. “It’s sad to hear you two broke up.” 

“Well, it’s not like you were trying to get us to break up or anything.” Adrien shrugged a bit before looking conflicted. “Kagami said she was talking about our relationship to some new friends, and that our relationship wasn’t healthy? I’m not really sure what happened.”

Frowning a bit, Marinette’s face scrunched up, and she put her hands on her hips. “Well, that seems kind of judgemental.”

Across Paris, a tanuki and fox sneezed.

Adrien snorted a bit of a laugh before they both heard a car horn from outside. “Guess it’s time to go.” He smiled as he gave Marinette a wave. “I’ll talk to you later, Marinette.”

A prod from Tikki made Marinette remember what she’d been thinking of before Adrien had suddenly shown up. Rushing outside, Marinette caught up just as Adrien was getting into the limo. “Wait!” Both Adrien and the Gorilla paused and looked at her, one in confusion and the other in annoyance. “There’s something I need to discuss with you, and it can’t wait for later.” Marinette looked behind her where her mother had followed her out. “Would you be okay with me going with Adrien?”

Sighing, Sabine just shook her head and smiled. “Just be back by lunch.”

Marinette beamed and hugged her mother. “Thanks, Maman!”

Shortly after, Marinette was in the limo with Adrien, and the two were headed off.

* * *

Once Marinette had left, Chloé sighed from her spot at the window. It figured that the moment something else came up, Dupain-Cheng would just run off and forget about her. She hated the fact she could feel her ears fold back as she walked back into the guest room. Why should she feel sorry about Dupain-Cheng blowing her off? It’s not like she hadn’t done the same to her for years. If anything, she should have expected it.

It only made sense after all. Even the most admirable person has limits.

Just as she was starting to sulk in private, there was a knock on the door. “Chloé, is it alright if I come in?”

Rolling her eyes with a sigh, Chloé looked over her shoulder at the door. “It’s your home. I don’t see why you’re asking.”

“That may be, but at the moment, you’re our guest.” Mr. Dupain chuckled a bit as the door creaked open. “And it is only right to treat a guest with respect.”

Chloé glared at him for a moment before huffing and rolling onto the bed more. “...Fine. Whatever.”

The bed depressed behind her, and it was evident that Tom had sat down. “I was wondering if you needed anything. I overheard you and Marinette earlier.” 

A growl crept from Chloé’s throat as she stubbornly refused to look at him. “Then you already know what I want!”

“True.” Tom nodded a bit before raising an eyebrow and looking over at her. “But that wasn’t what I asked. I asked if there was anything you _needed_.” Chloé cautiously looked over her shoulder, and Tom smiled. “Like someone or something you can use to vent?”

Scowling, Chloé just huffed and turned back to the wall. “I doubt there’s anything in _here_ that I could use.”

The bed shifted, and Tom hummed as he stood. “I know it may seem childish, but I have an idea.”

Chloé let curiosity get the better of her for a moment, and she looked over at him as he started to rummage around in the closet. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to do or even why he was so kind. Weren’t he and his wife hesitant about letting her stay yesterday? Just being here is probably going to get him covered in hair. _Her_ hair, a stray thought reminded Chloé, causing a small wave of disgust to wash over her. It was a cry of triumph that got Chloé out of her head, and she watched Tom pull something from the closet.

When she got a better look at it, Chloé’s face fell into a deadpan stare. “You’re kidding.”

Tom shook his head and held out the pink and white EZ-bake oven to Chloé. “This was Marinette’s when she was younger.” Tom’s usual smile fell into a scowl for a moment as he glared down at the box. “I’ve always despised this thing, but it ended up being a great way to ease her into being around and in a bakery as she got older.”

Looking between Tom and the toy oven in his hands, Chloé was the picture of the word indignation. “I am _not_ using that.”

“And that would be perfectly fine.” Tom shrugged, utterly unfazed as he set the toy oven on the floor next to the bed. As he stood up and started for the door, he gave her one last glance over his shoulder. “But it is here, and so are we, if you ever change your mind.”

The door to the guest room clicked shut, and Chloé was left alone again. Looking down at the toy oven, she scowled and rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Ridiculous. U-” The words caught in her throat again as images of her mother flashed in her mind. Rolling on the bed to face the wall, Chloé hugged herself and fought back the wetness in her eyes. “Damn it.”

* * *

“Incompetent. Utterly incompetent!” A fork embedded itself into the wall, barely missing the man at which it was thrown. Audrey was seething from her spot at Le Grande Paris’ banquet table. André was next to her, nervously cutting into the steak in front of him as his wife raged at her ‘employees.’ “How hard is it for you pathetic ingrates to find one damned girl!”

The suit who had managed to duck under his near-death stood up and held his hands out. “W-We’re trying, boss! Honest!”

Audrey slammed a fist into the table and made their plates jump. “Then try _harder!_ ” The suit left in a panic, and Audey slumped slightly into her chair with an annoyed sigh. “And _someone_ bring me my damned Chartreuse already! This entire fiasco is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

Gulping his nerves down, André leaned over slightly. “That seemed a little harsh, don’t you think, dear?”

The glare Audrey sent his way made André shrink back into his seat. “André, they can’t find a girl who is covered in literal _fur!_ Harsh doesn't even _begin_ to describe what they deserve!” Turning back to her food, Audrey began to dig into her meal violently. “Ridiculous, Utterly ridiculous.”

André grabbed a napkin and dabbed some sweat from his brow. “Well... yes, but someone could be hiding her.”

Audrey rolled her eyes and looked at him again. “And who would that be? The entire city hates her, and by extension, us!” Shoving a piece of steak into her mouth, Audrey grumbled as one of the waiters, finally arrived with her wine. “All because she took the offer of some freak in a butterfly suit.”

She had just been about to take a drink of the white wine when there was a knock at the door, and a different suit walked in, looking pale. “Uh... boss?”

Setting her glass down, Audrey snapped her eyes over to him. “ _What?_ ”

The suit walked in and stood nervously. “We can’t find anything on this wolf guy.”

Audrey’s grip on her glass tightened. “Did I not just tell you bastards to work harder!?”

Hastily raising his hands, The suit took a step back. “No, boss, you don’t get it! There’s literally _nothing_ on him! The guy by all rights doesn’t exist!”

Standing from her seat, Audrey’s grip on the wine glass caused a crack to form in the side. “That’s impossible, and you know it, so get back to work!” She punctuated her order by slamming the glass into the floor, sending shards and wine everywhere.

The suit raised a finger as he reached behind himself. “We did find something, though.”

Audrey and André both looked at him for a moment until he pulled out a glowing syringe. Curiosity briefly overtook her annoyance as she reached out and had the suit put it in her hands. She turned it over a few times and looked it over before raising an eyebrow at him. “What is this?”

The suit shook his head with a small shrug. “Don’t know, but they were all over the place where that last Akuma attack went down. People were saying that some new villain was using them.”

A glint formed in Audrey’s eyes as she slowly smiled at her increasingly nervous husband. “Well, André, it looks like our resident superheroes aren’t able to fix everything, now are they?” She turned to the suit and glared. “Find someone and shove this in their neck. I want to know what it does.”

The suit gave her a quick salute, reaching over to take the syringe. “Right away bo-”

Until Audrey turned for a moment and smiled in a way that sent shivers down his spine. “Actually, nevermind.” 

“B-Boss?”

Audrey took a few steps towards him and grabbed the suit by the tie. “I’ll do it myself.” There wasn’t even a moment for him to do anything to stop her as she pulled him forward. “Consider this your punishment for being utterly useless.” Before he could regain his balance, Audrey shoved the syringe into his neck and held it there. The stopper on the back wasn’t going down, though, so she grabbed a knife from the table and used the blade to force it down. Once it was done, she pulled it out and shoved him to the ground. “Take him and lock him away somewhere. Let me know what happens.”

The other goons in the room that had been by the door gave her a quick salute. “Yes, Boss!” They wasted no time dragging the drugged man’s body from the room, and Audrey went back to her table. 

She had a meal to finish before it went cold.


	21. Tatsu Drives, Shirou Bides, and Limo Rides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Nazuna get told what they're doing for the day, Shirou gets ready for the day, and Adrien talks with Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait on this one. It was only this past week that my work schedule solidified again, and even then, it has the consistency of jello. That being said, I at least have a better idea of what time I can spend actually writing. Here's to me getting the next chapter out in about a week, and at the same time, to being THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS close to getting 200 kudos. Seriously, somebody, slap that on there if you haven't already given this story a good pop on the noggin.
> 
> Edit: 200 Kudos! Thank you, whoever did that!

After the fiasco that had occurred yesterday, Michiru and Nazuna found themselves both standing before the Tsurugi matriarch. Tomoe looked very unamused as she stood at the head of the table. “It is clear to me that keeping you confined to the mansion is only going to invite trouble. As such, I would like you both to accompany Kagami to her fencing tournament.” 

Michiru and Nazuna both perked up and looked at each other in surprise. “Really!?”

They both calmed down, though, at Tomoe’s next words. “However, when waiting on her matches to begin, I am permitting you to explore the fair  _ only _ under her supervision. Should she believe you two to be causing trouble, she will call me, and Shirou will be sent to fetch you.”

Kagami smiled a bit as she bowed. “Thank you, mother, for trusting me with this responsibility. I will do my best to keep them out of trouble, as well as uphold our family honor at today’s tournament.”

“In that, I have little doubt.” Tomoe gave the group a small nod as she moved her bokken back to her side. “That will be all. You may take your leave.”

As they walked out of the estate and towards the car, Michiru was surprised to see Nazuna practically bouncing with each step. “This is going to be amazing! I’ve always wanted to go to a fair like this!”

Climbing into the car, Michiru could only raise an eyebrow. “Wait, seriously?”

“I’m also curious as to why you would want to go,” Kagami added as she climbed in after her. “I had suspected the lack of variety there would bore you after a time. Would this not be the case?”

Nazuna frowned as she sat down, a strand of hair getting into her face. “Michiru, we don’t  _ have _ many of these back in Japan. At least, not  _ our _ Japan, anyways.” She moved the strand back in place and sighed. “Worse was how anti-beastman a lot of the ones I found were when I started to look them up again.” A smile started to grow as she had a sparkle hiding in her eyes. “But here, we don’t have to worry about that.” The look in her eyes grew as she grinned. “As for variety, you’d be surprised at how much stuff there will be. It’s not like any of the vendors would be limited to  _ just _ selling medieval stuff.” She could see her own curiosity growing in Michiru and Kagami’s expressions, so she winked and held up a finger. “You’ll see when we get there.”

“Oh, come on! Stop teasing and tell me!” Michiru pouted as she slumped forward.

Kagami had an amused smirk as she turned to the front of the car. “Tatsu, s'il vous plaît nous emmener au jardin des Tuileries”

_ “Tout de suite, Kagami-san,” _ Tatsu’s digital voice replied, making both Michiru and Nazuna jump in surprise. 

“Did the car just talk!?” Michiru stared at the empty driver seat in shock, watching as it lit up on its own, and the engine started.

Kagami just smiled before the car began to go down the road.

* * *

Shirou had his usual stern frown as he watched them go into the car before glancing over at Tomoe. “Are you sure about this?”

Tomoe gave him a nod before turning back to the estate and walking inside. “As I said, keeping them here only invited them to seek out trouble. By letting them go together like this, we’ll know where their misadventures are going to be and can plan accordingly.” Shirou’s eyes widened at the implication, and his frown deepened. Tomoe let her head dip slightly as she stopped walking. “I know you will not like hearing this, but where those girls go, the monsters we are hunting follow. I would be a fool not to have seen this pattern by now.” 

Narrowing his eyes, Shirou glared at Tomoe. “And you would still send them along with your own daughter?”

Unfazed at Shirou’s tone, Tomoe shook her head. “Kagami is far more capable than she realizes. I trust her to keep them both safe.” Entering the room, Tomoe led Shirou into an office, where his eyes took in the lack of decorations and a large computer screen behind the desk. “The same pattern I recognized earlier can also apply for a specific class of Francis-Dupont in regards to Hawk Moth. Most of the Akumas that have been dealt with originate from within that class or those close to them. If you can keep watch, you may be able to find where Hawk Moth is sending his Akumas from.”

Getting ready to leave the room, Shirou started to step toward the door. “Then I should get going. I have a lot of ground to cover.”

“Before you do, I have something for you.” Tomoe waved her hand, and one of her servants came into the room. They quickly handed a cellphone and a slip of paper with the phone number to Shirou. “Should you find anything, forward the information to me. I’ll be having Tatsu record it for further review. Tatsu.” A small hatch on the desk rose, revealing a camera that was pointed at her.

_ “Yes, Madam Tsurugi?” _ Tatsu’s mechanical voice came from the screen behind her as it lit up and showed the program running.

“Compile any information you can gather on Akumas and Hawk Moth. When that is done, send access to the file to Oogami’s phone.”

_ “Processing.” _ The computer made a small error noise shortly after, and a keypad display was brought up on the screen.  _ “To complete this request, may I know the number for Mr. Oogami’s phone?” _ Tomoe raised an eyebrow, and Shirou sighed before typing in the phone number. The computer was silent for a moment until a ping came from Shirou’s phone.  _ “Link complete. The file shall be sent upon completion. Should you require my help at any time, I will be happy to assist, Mr. Oogami.” _

Shirou nodded and turned to head for the door. “If that’s all, I’ll be going.” This time, Tomoe did nothing to stop him from leaving. As he walked his way back to the estate’s entrance, Shirou grimaced as he pondered over the situation in Paris. After yesterday’s events, there were enough small hints piled up to give Shirou a good idea of who the spotted heroine was. While whatever it was at play that kept him from recognizing her face, her scents and words filled in the gaps. 

_ To think that for three years, the only force stopping this man was a baker’s teenage daughter and a boy in a cat-suit. _

* * *

As the limo drove them down the road, Adrien and Marinette both sat in awkward silence. Marinette wasn’t really sure how to bring up the topic she needed to. It wasn’t like she could just go, ‘Hey, remember your old friend who was convicted for aiding a terrorist? Well, I need to buy her clothes cause she’s hiding in my family’s guest room!’

Adrien was trying to think of something to say but kept thinking back on what Kagami said when they broke up. She’d wished Marinette the best of luck with him, and now he was giving her a ride. He hoped that when they got to the tournament that Kagami wasn’t where she could see them. He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. 

“So.” Adrien’s thoughts snapped free when Marinette finally spoke up. “I uh... kinda need your help.” She nervously glanced to the side and out the window, making Adrien’s brow furrow. “It involves someone we know, and she asked me if I could get her some new clothes.”

His eyebrows knit together in confusion before Adrien looked at her. “Couldn’t you just make her some? I can’t see a reason anyone would reject a design you made.”

Groaning, Marinette rubbed her face as she let her head fall into her hands. “That’s just it. She is refusing to  _ let _ me.” Her arms fell to her sides, and she nervously gripped at her sleeves. “She was okay with me buying something discounted in her size, but I... I don’t have enough money to spare. If I did get anything, I wouldn’t be able to finish any of my commissions on time and-” She shook her head and sat up. The look on her face made Adrien worry, even though she was waving her hand at him in dismissal. “I-I’m sorry. Just forget I said anything. You can go ahead and pull over. I’ll figure something out for her and-” As she started to stand so she could tell the Gorilla to stop, Adrien grabbed her hand. 

Looking into her eyes as they hesitantly turned to look at him, Adrien’s frown deepened. “Marinette, is everything alright?” While he had missed seeing her face change color when they interacted, he had hoped to see a blush again, like earlier. Seeing the color drain from her entirely as she hastily looked away made him more concerned than before. His brain kept racking itself for possibilities as to why, and a lot of old movies popped into his head.  _ I really hope this isn’t the case, but... _ “You didn’t get dragged into anything dangerous, did you?” She didn’t answer and instead fell back into her seat, looking down at her knees. “Marinette?”

Silence filled the limo until Marinette spoke at barely a whisper. “It’s for Chloé.”

Adrien’s jaw fell open as he stared. “What?”

Nervously grabbing her arm, Marinette pulled her hand free from his. “The person I was talking about. It’s her.”

Adrien couldn’t feel anything other than the pit sinking into his stomach.  _ But, why would Marinette know about Chlo!? Shouldn’t she be back at her father’s Hotel? _ His mind jumped around for a moment to the day before and the Akuma he’d fought. _ Then again, there was what happened with yesterday’s Akuma... Is there more going on that I  _ don’t _ know about? I bet that Shirou knows too. But that doesn’t explain how Marinette knows! _

“I can’t tell you where she’s staying,” Marinette said, breaking him from his thoughts. Adrien hadn’t noticed how focused he was staring into nothing until she did. “I’m sorry, but... I can’t risk anyone else knowing that  _ I _ know. She wasn’t safe at the Hotel and...” She bit her lip and was staring intently at her shoes. Adrien almost missed the trembling of her shoulders.

_ Well, that answers why Chlo isn’t at the hotel. _ Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, Adrien leaned forward a bit. “Marinette, look at me.” It was slow and jerky, but Marinette was eventually looking at him. “What can you tell me?”

Marinette immediately shook her head as she scooted away slightly. “I-I’m sorry, but I- The things they tried to do to her...”

“Marinette, please.” Once more, Adrien had her hand, and she was looking at him. “I just want to help.”

Looking at war with herself as she stared into his pleading eyes, Marinette sighed and slumped forward. “All I can say is that she asked me to get her some new clothes.” When Adrien frowned and opened his mouth to say something, she raised her hand and shook her head. “I’m sorry I can’t say more, but I’m already risking her safety as it is asking for help at all.”

Adrien was at a loss as Marinette turned away again and looked out the window. He wanted to help, but with Marinette’s stubborn streak, there was no way he was going to be able to do it quickly. Especially with her being this defensive.  _ Damn it. There’s gotta be a way to help her without it looking suspicious- _ Mid thought, a cat-shaped lightbulb went off in his head. _ I got it! _ Determination bleeding into his face, he got Marinette’s attention again. “Hey, where do people pay you for their commissions?”

“Huh?” The topic change seemed to help distract her for a moment, as Marinette blinked dumbly and looked confused as she turned back to Adrien. “Uh, through my MDC account. Why?” Adrien didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his phone and started typing away. Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed together until she heard her phone go off. Pulling it out, Marinette’s eyes bulged out of her skull as she stared in shock. “Adrien! You can’t just  _ give _ me that much-”

“I can, and I just did,” Adrien answered with a smirk, looking like the cat that got the cream.  _ It’s about time all that modeling money was good for something. _ His smirk mellowed out a bit as he stared at his own phone for a second. “I know Chlo has done a lot of... questionable things lately. But she’s still my friend.” He put his phone away and looked out the window of the limo for a moment, images of Ladybug, Queen Bee, and himself running overhead dancing in his imagination. “I don’t want to think she was completely voluntary with what happened that day, and I hope that she is doing alright. If she was, I hope it gave her the wake-up call she needed to be a better person.” Smirking again, he looked at Marinette and held up a finger. “As for the money, if it helps any, I can make it an  _ actual _ commission. That way, I’m not just ‘giving you money,’ and your conscience can give you a break. It’d just be one with a... substantial bonus attached.”

Marinette was having a hard time finding control of her jaw. She just sat there, staring at Adrien in complete shock, until her eyes started to grow wet. Gripping her phone tightly as she brought it up to her chest, Marinette’s teary smile lit up the inside of the limo. “Thank you, Adrien. This means a lot.”

“It’s no problem at all. Just be sure to surprise me with a really cool suit.” Adrien answered with a smile before looking out the window again and smiling wider. “Oh, hey, we’re here!”

The limo stopped just outside the Tuileries Garden premises, and Adrien offered her his hand to help her step out. The moment she got a good look at the garden, Marinette’s breath was taken away. “Wow, this place is so...”

The gardens usually only had a few people milling about, enjoying the sunny weather when permitted. Today, however, it was packed with people from all over. Many were in casual clothing, but a fair number were dressed in old medieval garb. There were princesses, jesters, knights, squires, and peasants. Everyone looked happy as they went from vendor stalls selling food and drink to dozens of amusement attractions. What caught her eye the most was one of the larger plots that were maintained rigorously, had a portion of the center wired off, and a lot of fencing equipment was being cleaned.

“Hey, look over there, there’s a vendor selling outfits!” Adrien’s voice snapped her back to reality, and she looked at where he was pointing. Sure enough, there was a tent that had several different pieces of clothing for sale. Most had a medieval theme to them, but she could spot a few various articles that made her think of Chloé quickly. She was about to walk over when she saw Adrien poking through a bunch of hoodies instead. When he noticed her, he promptly waved Marinette over. “Chlo never would admit it, but she had a collection of really cheesy hoodies when we were younger.” Adrien looked around suspiciously before leaning in with a whisper. “Don’t tell her I told you, or she’ll murder me.”

Stifling a snort of laughter, Marinette was almost able to forget why she was buying these in the first place. “Adrien, are you giving away your friend’s dirty secrets?” She turned up her nose and looked away playfully. “And here I thought you were a gentleman.”

Adrien laughed a bit as he blushed and rubbed the back of his head before checking the time and frowning. He put on a smaller smile and gave Marinette a wave as he headed for the front of the tent. “I got to go. Take care, Marinette. And uh...” He paused and looked slightly nervous. “Tell Chlo I said hi?”

Marinette just chuckled as she shook her head a bit before smiling at him. “I will.”

* * *

Gabriel sighed as he stood in his lair, looking up at the hidden window that hung above. He breathed out his nose as he walked forward down one of the catwalks. There, lying peacefully within her chamber, Emile Agreste’s body rested. The display at the foot of her resting place showed that she was alive, but only barely. “Soon, Emilie, our family will be whole again.”

On the far side of the room, an elevator slid down and opened to reveal Nathalie Sancour. “Sir, Adrien has arrived at his fencing tournament on time.”

Turning from his wife’s still form, Gabriel nodded. “Thank you for informing me, Nathalie.”

“There’s more, sir.” At Gabriel’s slightly raised eyebrow, Nathalie continued. “From what our systems sent me, it seems that one Marinette Dupain-Cheng had joined him on his trip there.”

“What?” Gabriel snapped as he walked over. “Adrien’s bodyguard was under strict orders to make no detours.”

Nathalie sighed under her breath as she opened the travel logs. “It appears Adrien had convinced him to stop at the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery on the way there. It was at that stop that Mlle. Dupain-Cheng joined him.” 

Growling, Gabriel held out his hand, and Nathalie wordlessly handed him his cellphone. With a quick tap of his thumb, Gabriel was glaring at nothing as the call connected. “Rossi. I have a job for you.”

_ “Yeah?” _

“Adrien will be at the Renaissance fair today. I wish for you to attend and keep an eye on him.”

Lila sounded annoyed as she replied.  _ “Pretty last minute to ask for something like this.” _

Gabriel’s anger was evident as his grip on the phone tightened. “Do not question me. Or would you like for our arrangement to be terminated?” There was an indignant squawk on the other end of the line that made Gabriel grow a wicked grin. “Replacing you as a model would be of little trouble to me.”

_ “I never said no.” _ Lila finally answered though it was clear from her tone that he’d shaken her.  _ Good. _

“I expect a report on what happened to be sent to Nathalie once his tournament is over.” Gabriel hung up and handed Nathalie the phone. “I’ll be in my office.”

Nathalie had a cold smile as she turned to face Gabriel. “There’s more, sir.”

“Oh?” He had been a step away from the elevator, but his attention peaked.

Nathalie readied a video on the tablet and began to walk closer, holding the device out for Gabriel to see. “Due to having been in the limo with Adrien, we now know that Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is aware of Chloé Bourgeois’ current location.”

Gabriel watched the video play out. While annoyed that Adrien was wasting his funds on the girl, he was still somewhat proud of his son for showing compassion to this degree. If only it didn’t remind him so much of Emilie. Still, Miracle Queen was one of his most promising Akumas, and getting a chance to use her again would likely become of use in the future. “Hmm... we should keep an eye on her then. Chloé has always been a fountain of negative emotions. Akumatizing her again would be child’s play once we find her.”

Nathalie nodded and brought her tablet back to her side. “Right a-” A coughing fit wracked through her, and Gabriel moved to help her, only for her to hold out her hand as she gathered her composure. “Right away, sir.”

Frowning, Gabriel moved towards her anyway and helped her move to the elevator herself. “Nathalie, I thought I told you to let yourself rest. Have you been pushing yourself again!?”

Nathalie frowned and looked Gabriel in the eye. “We’re so close to victory, sir. I-”

“No. You’re still not well from using the peacock.” What fight she had died down, and Gabriel sighed. “I had hoped that when we fixed the miraculous, it would have undone any existing damages to its wielder. So far, however, all that has come of it was an out of control Akuma. More so, neither you nor Emilie has gotten better.” Gabriel pressed a button on the elevator’s controls, and the platform started to rise. “Return to your rest. I have a feeling that today will be promising to our cause.”

As she left his line of sight, Nathalie sighed and looked down. “Yes, sir.”


	22. Shopping, Excitement, and a Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has an unfortunate encounter while shopping, Michiru and Kagami deal with an excited Nazuna, and Max talks with his teacher about what he's learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous update contained this message, which has been moved here for those who don't want their reading interrupted by an author's letter of apology.
> 
> _________________
> 
> Hello all! Sorry for doing this and getting your hopes up, but I just wanted to let everyone following the story know what's going on. The next chapter [this one] is doing everything in its power to be difficult, by which I mean my life keeps throwing curveballs in the way of my work. I was able to make some progress, just not as much as I'd have liked. That being said, updates from here on out are going to be Bi-weekly. I'm aiming for getting this out on Friday [22 chapters no the 22nd woo!], but I make no promises regarding that [Promise Fulfilled]. Again, I'm sorry for not getting this notification out sooner as well, as it kept slipping my mind. Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with this story, as it makes me happy to know so may enjoy my work, even if I have the self-confidence of a newt some days. I've been trying to work on that.
> 
> Keep reading and writing what you love,
> 
> -Graglithan
> 
> _________________
> 
> To those who posted that it was all good, thank you. Now with that out of the way, I'm aiming for the next update to happen on Feb. 5th. Til then, remember to stay safe and stay healthy!

_ I wonder if Chloé wouldn’t mind if I spent a few extra hours here. _ Marinette pondered as she browsed through the absurd number of shirts and hoodies she’d found a tent over from her initial stop. Marinette had to get one that was just right. Sure, Chloé said she couldn’t make one, but that didn’t mean she was just going to throw whatever at her. Marinette was a fashion designer, and she was going to do her best to make Chloé both inconspicuous  _ and _ fashionable!

She just had to decide on which bee themed hoodie. _ The one with honeycombs going up the side, or the one with stripes around the waist? _ For a second, the little angel and devil on her shoulders stared at each other.  _ Both? Both!? Both. Both are good. _

Picking up both hoodies, and possibly a third one that was just cute as heck, Marinette’s mood, unfortunately, crashed when she heard someone speak up behind her. “Well, isn’t this a surprise.”

Eyes narrowing as she turned, Marinette crossed her arms and glared back at the girl behind her. “Lila.”

Lila’s glare was matched with that damn smirk Marinette was growing to hate more each time she saw it. “It’s _ so _ good to see you too, Marinette.”

Scowling, Marinette’s foot started to tap ever so slightly. “What do you want, Lila.”

Feigning a pout, Lila tilted her head a bit. “I can’t talk to a friend?” Simpering as she turned away, she dramatically put a hand to her head. “Why do you have to be so cruel all the time?”

“Last I checked, we weren’t friends.” Marinette’s deadpan tone cut through the air like a knife. Her glare doubled down as she scowled at the lying Italian. “And stop patronizing me. Our class isn’t even here.”

The smirk was back as Lila confidently shook off her act. “Where’s the fun in that?” Marinette felt a chill go down her spine as Lila leaned in and started to whisper. “After all, those idiots might not be here, but we’re not exactly in a private setting. Everyone is watching.” Lila’s gaze briefly moved to the side, and Marinette’s eyes followed. “All I would have to do is cry about you stealing from me, and I bet the vendor over there would call security to have you escorted out of the fair entirely.”

“What!?” Marinette had to take a step back as her eyes widened in shock. “Are you seriously  _ that _ petty?”

“I told you we were at war, Maritrash.” Lila sneered for a moment before she schooled her face back into her smirk. “And word around here is that you showed up with Adrien. All it would take would be a little bit of crying, and you’d be thrown out. I wonder if he’d still want to be friends with a thief?” 

Marinette had to bite back her anger. She was sure if this kept up, she’d get akumatized and murder Lila. So she focused more on the here and now. Gesturing around them with what little mobility her arms had, Marinette let her scowl melt into a simple frown. “Why are you even here, Lila. This isn’t exactly where I’d expect to see you set foot.”

“Sorry, but that’s for me to know.” Lila flicked her hair over her shoulder and started to head for the vendor, much to Marinette’s horror. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to the-” 

Before she could even finish her sentence, Lila ran smack into someone’s back.

Seeing an opportunity to make it worse for Marinette, Lila forced back her desire to call whoever it was an idiot and started putting on an apologetic face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. We were just-”

“Planning on ruining someone’s reputation through lies and slander. I gathered.” The guy interrupted with barely a care as he focused on something off in the crowd. 

Both Lila and Marinette jumped a bit in surprise as Lila tried to find the words to respond. “H-Huh?”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” He turned around, and his blue eyes pierced down on Lila like an angry god. “You’re not as quiet as you think you are.” Scowling, his eyes narrowed. “I heard everything.”

Marinette’s head tilted a bit as she stared in disbelief. “Shirou!?”

Before Lila could look over, Shirou pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. “I suggest you leave.”

Lila was sweating slightly and looked over at the vendor, only to see them raising an eyebrow suspiciously at them. Growling under her breath, she whirled around and jabbed a finger into Marinette’s face. “This isn’t over, Maritrash.”

Watching her storm off, Marinette shook her head before turning back to Shirou with a strained smile. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take that.”

Shirou raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Is this common?”

“Unfortunately.” Marinette let out a weary sigh before adjusting her grip on the hoodies. “At least now there’s an adult other than my parents who believe me.”

Shirou’s eyes widened a bit as he stared at her.  _ Wait, what? She was barely even trying to hide what she was doing! _ He grimaced as his eyes moved to where he could see Lila’s hair disappear into the crowd.  _ Perhaps I should look into the school. Considering the current public enemy Paris has, adding a serial liar with free reign would be problematic. _

The sound of Marinette clearing her throat broke Shirou from his thoughts. “Say um... not to be rude, but what are you even doing here?”

“I could say the same to you,” Shirou responded as his expression calmed, and he looked back to her.

“I asked first.” Marinette smiled innocently as she stared him in the eyes. He had to admit, he was impressed at her ability to hold his gaze at all.

So it was with a smirk, he closed his eyes. “Fair.” Shirou adjusted his coat and pointed it out at the fair. “Scouting. You?”

Marinette held up her bundle of hoodies and winked. “Clothes shopping. Someone didn’t have new clothes to wear and was getting agitated.”

_ It’s for Bourgeois then. _ Shirou grunted softly as he took a look at the area around them and raised an eyebrow. “Strange place to do that, all things considered.”

Marinette shrugged a bit and blushed. “I happened to be nearby.” Her eyes wandered to the outside of the tent, and she paused for a moment. “Huh? Is that... Michiru?” 

Squinting, Marinette tried to get a better look through the crowd. Sure enough, there was Michiru, along with Nazuna and Kagami, walking through the crowd. She was actually surprised she overlooked Nazuna first with how excited she was moving between stalls. The moment she’d noticed Kagami, though, Marinette’s worries for her friend came to the forefront of her thoughts.  _ Maybe I should talk with her? She had to have had a good reason to break up with Adrien, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t hurt about it. _

Shirou looked at her for a moment before turning with a sigh and keeping her in the corner of his eye. “I don’t care if you go talk to them. Either way, I’m not here.”

“What are you-?” Marinette jumped a bit as she turned to face him, only to find herself standing alone again. “Where’d he go?” Before she could ponder more, her eyes caught one of the displays of pants off to the side, and she smiled. “Oh, those would look wonderful on her!

* * *

As Michiru and Kagami walked behind her, Nazuna was excitedly eyeing several stalls. “Oh, I wish I knew French right now. There are so many things here that look amazing!”

“I’m not sure how to feel right now,” Michiru muttered a bit as a worried grimace spread across her face. “I mean, I’m happy that Nazuna’s enjoying herself, but I’ve never seen her so-” Nazuna blurring past the two to look at a new stall almost gave her whiplash. “...bouncy.”

Kagami put a hand to her chin as she looked at the scene thoughtfully. “Ah, so this is unusual then.”

Nazuna was beaming as she waved from one of the stalls a ways ahead of them. “Michiru! They have ax throwing!”

Blinking a bit in surprise, Michiru started to smile herself. “Wait, really!?” She rushed ahead, leaving a sighing Kagami behind as she started to look at the game along with Nazuna. She quickly started to dig out her wallet when she saw that other people were paying for a chance to play. “I wonder if I could... uh... oh.” Both beastmen stared down at Michiru’s wallet as she started to stare at it dejectedly. “Right... we’re broke...”

Catching up with them, Kagami was worriedly glancing at the time on her phone. “That, and we must be going to the arena. The tournament is set to begin in only a few minutes.”

Nazuna and Michiru’s jaws dropped as they looked at each other before turning back to Kagami. “Already!? But we just got here.”

Kagami gave a brief nod before putting her phone away. “Mother and I prefer to be punctual.” She looked up to see if they were going to follow and froze. The two of them had started pouting and looking as pitiful as possible. It was making Kagami feel... uncomfortable.

Michiru glanced to her side and frowned, elbowing Nazuna. “Nazuna, stop pouting. That’s my thing.”

“Shut up, you’re sharing today.”

Sighing, Kagami shook her head and tried to dispel the feeling as she turned to leave. “We will have time to look around after, but we must be going-”

“Kagami! Nazuna! Michiru!”

The three paused as they looked over and saw Marinette running up to them, holding... several bags in each hand. “Mari-san?” Kagami’s surprise was as clear in her words as it was on her face. When Marinette had finished running up to them and started to lean on her knees, Kagami shook herself from her stupor. “Que fais-tu ici?”

Marinette raised a finger for a moment as she caught her breath before standing proper and holding out her bags. "Oh, juste acheter des vêtements." Kagami looked at the bags in mild horror, and Michiru and Nazuna just shared a look of confusion. “Je euh ... j'ai pensé que si j'avais quelque chose à regarder, je pourrais avoir des idées! Et j'ai eu une nouvelle commission pendant que j'y étais.”

Michiru heard a hint of something in Marinette’s voice. She may not know French, but her gut said something about what she said was off. Before she could ponder it further, though, there was a blaring in the distance, and Michiru squinted to get a better look at where it came from. A gasp left her throat as she saw several fencing teams headed for a makeshift arena. “Kagami, the tournament!”

Kagami looked shocked before turning to Marinette apologetically. “Je suis désolé, Mari-san, mais je dois y aller, sinon je serai en retard pour mon match.”

Marinette looked a bit disappointed but sighed and smiled softly as she gave them a wave. “Oh, euh, d'accord... Bonne chance!” Kagami wasted no time as she started rushing over to the tournament. Michiru gave Marinette a sheepish shrug and waved back before rushing after, with Nazuna following behind her.

The tournament was thankfully close enough that they hadn’t had to run far, and Kagami quickly rushed towards a preparation tent. Before she got in, though, Michiru grabbed her arm and stopped her, looking pensive. “Hey, um, I know you’re in a hurry, but it looked like Marinette wanted to talk about something.”

Kagami sighed and gently pulled her arm from Michiru’s grasp. “As much as I would like to talk with Marinette, it must wait. They won’t reschedule the matches because of a conversation.”

“Right.” Michiru watched Kagami disappear into the tent before turning to Nazuna. “Why do I have a bad feeling something is going to go wrong?”

Neither noticed the black butterfly fluttering to the other side of the tents.

* * *

Max was uncharacteristically nervous. It took him a while to do it, but he figured out where his science teacher would be that day. Well, Markov found out, but that was good enough for the time being. He had too much on his mind as it was. All of his latest data points were pointing to conclusions he wished he had arrived at months ago. However, he still needed more confirmation before he was certain.

All of which required him to talk with Mme. Mendeleiev. 

From what Markov had told him, M. D’Argencourt had suffered a sprained ankle, and she was substituting for a field trip last minute. Max was even lucky enough that their trip's location was close enough for him to get there by foot!

Arriving at the fair, Max and Markov hunted down where the fencing tournament was supposed to be held and searched until they spotted Mme. Mendeleiev’s hair poking from the crowd. “Excuse me, Mme. Mendeleiev?”

Mme. Mendeleiev looked over as Max approached and looked confused. “Maxwell? What are you doing here? Last I checked, you were not on the fencing team’s roster.”

“That would be correct.” Max nodded as he pulled his laptop out from his bag and opened it. “I needed to talk to you about something, so-” Before Max could finish, one of the fencing students nearly ran him over. He barely caught his laptop before it fell. 

Sighing in frustration, Mme. Mendeleiev pinched the bridge of her nose. “Whatever it is, it will have to wait. I don’t have time to answer any questions when I have to keep M. D'Argencourt’s students in line.” 

Max’s eyes went wide as he hastily opened his laptop again and brought up some of the documents he’d been using. “But I just-”

Mme. Mendeleiev cut him off with a firm wave of her hand. “No, Maxwell.” 

Sighing dejectedly, Max closed his laptop and held it to his chest. “Can you at least confirm one thing for me?”

Glancing over to the fencing students, Mme. Mendeleiev let out a quick sigh and frowned down at him. “Make it quick.”

Max’s voice held all of his saddened emotions as he looked up towards his teacher. “Has Lila been lying this entire time?”

Eyes wide, Mme. Mendeleiev paused for a moment before her face returned to a stern frown. “So you finally found the holes in her stories.” Max’s eyes went wide as she sighed and pinched at her nose again. “To be honest, Maxwell, I’m slightly disappointed in you. You are one of my brightest students, and yet it took this long for you to figure out that Rossi refuses to tell the truth.” There was the undertone of a growl as Mme. Mendeleiev turned to look in the general direction of their school. “If I had my way, that girl would have been expelled by now, but it’s not up to me.”

“I... I see. Thank you, Mme. Mendeleiev.” Max was stunned. He’d never seen one of his teachers get so angry before. He’d always just assumed that Mme. Mendeleiev was being harsh and refusing to accommodate for one of her students. This... this painted all of Lila’s scowling in their science class into a new light.

He barely registered the whirl of Markov’s propeller turning on until the little robot was hovering in front of Max’s face. “Don’t worry, Max, it will be alright.”

“No, Markov, it won’t. Now I have to redo so many calculations for our projects!” Max exclaimed as he put a hand to his head and mentally went over just how many there would be. “Just how much of our work is jeopardized now because of the false information she provided? I would have been able to help Ladybug when she came to my room last night if I hadn’t listened to Lila.”

“What!?” Mme. Mendeleiev’s near shout broke Max out of his stupor, and she turned to the boy. “Ladybug asked you for help?” When Max hesitantly nodded, her frown became tense. How could those heroes claim to be protecting Paris when they went and asked a child for help!? She knelt down a bit to look Max in the eye and gently put a hand on his shoulder. “What  _ exactly _ was Ladybug asking of you, Maxwell?” And by god, they better not have been putting him in danger.

Max took a moment to recollect what had happened before a glint of determination flashed in his eyes. “Last night, Ladybug had brought over some kind of serum. It was being used by one of the villains she’d been fighting, and she was wondering if I could help her figure out what it was.” His determination faltered a bit as he looked down at his laptop. “But the synthetic compound analyzer I had been building hit a roadblock after Lila had started helping me with gathering research I could use to improve the device. None of my data was adding up, and all of my attempts had ended in complete failure. She told me that all of it was from researchers she’d worked with before, so I didn’t question it.” He looked back up and smiled a bit. “That’s why Markov had the great idea to send Ladybug and Chat Noir your way. I’m not sure if they’ve talked with you yet, but if they haven’t, I’m 92% positive it will happen sometime during school.”

Mme. Mendeleiev was having a hard time hiding the surprise from her face. She had to give Maxwell more credit than she had been, it seemed. For someone so young to attempt to develop a synthetic compound analyzer was quite a feat. Moreso, she was proud that when the heroes had gone to him, that he and his toy had sent them towards someone more appropriate to ask. However, there was one detail about his story that was bothering her.

And that was Lila’s ‘help’ with the failed project. 

Pointing at his laptop, Mme. Mendeleiev stood back up. “Can I see what Lila provided?” Max hastily nodded and handed it over. Mme. Mendeleiev didn’t have to waste much time looking. Max’s organization was another point she would have to give the boy credit. However, her small point of joy was swiftly crushed when she got to the research papers that she saw. “This is-! All of this information is plagiarized! From my old university no less! I was the one who helped them remove that disgrace of a professor when he tried to steal my research!” Her grip on the laptop was frightening, but she calmed herself enough to close the device and start handing it back to Max. “I knew she was an unrepentant liar, but to go this far is unacceptable!”

The moment the device passed between the two, disaster struck in the form of a little butterfly.

Both Max and Mme. Mendeleiev stared ahead as a butterfly mask formed on their faces.  _ “Alchemax, I am Hawk Moth. One of you burns to see a liar put in her place for making fools of your knowledge and accomplishments, and the other stings with the betrayal of your trust. I can give you the power to show her just how far your intellect surpasses her’s. In exchange, you must bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous and capture the new heroes that are in Paris.” _

Their faces darkened as people around them started to run away. “Yes, Hawk Moth.”

Markov watched in horror as Max and Mme. Mendeleiev was consumed by the blackened magic. “Oh, dear. I need to find Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

The little robot had never flown so fast in his existence.


	23. Robots, Hiding Spots, and Transformations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette, Adrien, and their friends all find places to hide. Two of them suit up to take care of Paris' latest threat, and robots swarm overhead.

Shirou watched the butterfly as it fluttered by. His eyes narrowed as they followed the insect’s path before he took a deep breath. It was slightly off, but a strange trail of scents was left behind as it flew. It would be easy to follow the path to its source, but that would be a problem in and of itself. If Shirou did, then Michiru, Nazuna, and Kagami would be left at the akuma’s mercy.

Even though it was simple for him to see, it wasn’t like he had much choice in the matter. If he didn’t follow the path, he wouldn’t learn where Hawk Moth had been hiding this entire time. The direction even correlated with the data Tatsu had provided him. It was going towards the epicenter of all the Akuma locations.

The moment he heard the telltale whirl of Ladybug’s yo-yo, Shirou let out a small breath. “Keep them busy, Ladybug.” Leaping away from the fight, Shirou followed the trail over rooftops, using his nose more than his eyes.

* * *

Marinette muttered to herself as she looked through the eight different bags of bee-themed clothes she was carrying. She kept looking even as she weaved through the crowd of the fair until she found somewhere to sit. When she did at one of the park benches, Tikki slipped out of her purse and hid in the crook of her shirt collar. “Tikki, what do you think? Will this be enough for Chloé? Or do you think she’d be more comfortable with something more expensive?”

Tikki’s pensive stare was only broken for a moment as the small god sighed. “Marinette, I can tell that’s not what’s on your mind.”

Flinching slightly, Marinette’s smile fell into a frown as she slumped somewhat. “I... I know.” Resting her elbows on her knees, she looked down at the bags of clothes as her mind wandered. “I just really don’t want to think about Adrien and Kagami right now. It’s hard enough to get my own feelings to settle down. Talking about a break up is the last thing either of them need, and I don’t want to do something that would get them Akumatized. I couldn’t even bring up the topic without becoming a stuttering mess!” Her head landed in her hands with a groan. “I’m a complete disaster.”

A sudden scream made the two look up in surprise. Marinette barely had enough time to pull her bags to safety as people started to stampede past her. Tikki and Marinette shared a look of shock and fear as the cries of ‘Akuma’ ran past them. “I don’t think you have time to worry about that anymore!”

Marinette grabbed her bags and sharply looked at her surroundings. “Gotta find a place to hide.” The moment her eyes landed on a changing booth for one of the vendors, a determined smirk was prominent on her face. “Yes!” Ducking inside and stuffing her bags to the back, Marinette barely avoided being seen by the Akuma, and she peeked through the curtain to get a better look at what she was dealing with.

The relatively tall akuma was in a silver lab coat, toxic green gloves, and had a red visor over their eyes in the shape of a butterfly. Any other features were hidden by the skinsuit they were wearing, though Marinette noted the androgynous build their body held. They were looking around for something before growling under their breath. “Rossi won’t be able to hide for long.” 

Marinette glimpsed someone hiding in another stall trip as they tried to start running and got the akuma’s attention. “You there, come here.” The poor man scrambled to his feet and started to run. Seeing this, the Akuma snarled and typed into a device that was on their wrist. “I said, come here!” 

Two robots flew in from somewhere else in the fair and quickly grabbed the man by the arms. Neither machine had a head on their shoulders. Still, their bulky torsos each had display monitors that held pixelated faces staring blankly forward. “No, No, please!” 

“Now, you are going to help me find a liar, whether you want to or not.” The akuma raised their arm and fired a green blast from their wrist. The moment it engulfed the man, the robots let go and stepped back. Marinette had to muffle a gasp as there was now a third robot kneeling on the ground. 

With slightly stiff movements, the robot stood and saluted. The man’s face was displayed on the monitor, making Marinette’s stomach twist. _“Awaiting Orders.”_

“Find Lila Rossi, and bring her to me.”

 _“Yes, Alchemax.”_ All three robots flew up into the air and off in different directions. Alchemax looked around for a moment themself before walking off further into the fair.

Moving back from the curtain, Marinette put a hand to her chin and hummed. “The akuma is definitely in the device on their wrist.” Risking another peek outside, her eyebrows scrunched as she tried to see if anything else was waiting for her. “But I don’t see any sign of an amok.”

Tikki hovered next to her and shrugged. “Could it be possible that Hawkmoth didn’t use the peacock this time?”

Marinette thought it over and closed the blinds again. “It is, but I don’t see him relinquishing an advantage against us so easily.” Moving the bags of clothes she’d brought with her to the far side, she continued to mutter to herself. “Could the last fight have made him wary of losing control due to those mystery villains?” Before she could ponder further, more screams came from outside, and she stood up. “I’ll have to ponder later. Right now, we’ve got an akuma to fight!”

Tikki gave her a determined smile and flew up to her. “Ready?”

Marinette returned the look with her own and nodded. “Tikki, Spots on!”

* * *

Adrien sighed as he shifted his gear onto his shoulders and stared dejectedly down at his fencing mask. His attitude was clearly felt by his fellow fencers, and a lot of them were giving him worried looks over their shoulders. Adrien knew he was affecting their morale, even more than having to rely on Mme. Mendeleiev to be here in M. D’Argencourt’s sted. As bizarre as the man’s habits were, he knew how to lift the team’s spirits better than anyone else.

Sitting alone, Adrien waited for the rest of the fencing team to head out before looking towards his bag and the little black cat Kwami sitting inside. “Plagg, do you think Marinette’s going to be okay?”

Plagg was lounging in his duffle bag and gave a lazy shrug, pulling a piece of camembert from a hidden stash and taking a bite. “Well, you did just throw more money at Pigtails than she’d earn in a year, so I think she’ll be fine.”

An exasperated sigh left Adrien as he rubbed his face. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” Adrien could feel his worries writhing in his chest by the second and turned to make sure his gear was on correctly. “By all rights, she’s helping a convicted criminal hide, even if it is Chloé, and there could be more to this we don’t know. Someone could be hunting Chlo down. If that’s the case, then they could easily use Marinette to find her, and we’d be able to do nothing about it!”

Plagg flew up to his face and waved his little nubs. “Calm down, kid, it’ll be fine!” Still seeing the worry in Adrien’s eyes, Plagg gave a dismissive shrug and smirked. “Besides, I doubt you’d let anything happen to either of them on your watch. You’re all overprotective and stuff.”

Adrien couldn’t fight the amused snort that left his nose as he rolled his eyes. “You’re right. Thank’s Plagg.” Getting up to leave the tent, Adrien’s mood quickly fell back down as screams started to come from outside. “What the-!?”

“Akuma!”

Slumping in the air, Plagg groaned and pouted. “Can’t I have even one day off? We fought one of these yesterday!”

Adrien looked at his kwami and frowned. “Complain later. We have a job to do. Plagg, claws out!” As his suit washed over him, Chat Noir's thoughts focused on all the possible ways things could go wrong. Tearing a hole in the side of the tent, Chat slipped out and vaulted into the air. _Don’t worry, Marinette. My Lady and I will keep you and everyone else safe._

* * *

The moment the screaming started, Kagami, Michiru, and Nazuna all looked at each other in surprise. Michiru’s hands went to her head as she dug her fingers into her hair. “Seriously!? Again!?”

In response, Kagami grabbed her by the arm. “Run!”

The three of them did just that and bolted down the paths of the fair. People screaming and running all around them with no clear direction. They were confused as to why, until a robot flew overhead, shortly followed by others. The rumble that echoed through the air rattled their bones as they watched one dive down and grab someone.

Michiru dragged her hands down the sides of her head and pulled on her own hair. “Crap, where do we hide!?”

A glint of light caught Nazuna’s eye, and she spotted a long bar that had been serving out ale and mutton. The countertop was more than long enough to hide all three of them. “In there!”

Michiru reached their hiding spot first and jumped over the top of the counter before quickly helping the other two pull themselves over. The rumble of another robot flying closer made her blood freeze as she pulled the other two with her to the ground. “Shh!” The robot landed just on the other side of the bar, slowly looking around, before taking off again and flying into the air.

Nazuna risked a peek before letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I think they’re gone.”

As Nazuna slid back down and sat in a daze, Michiru pointed behind herself and looked at Kagami incredulously. “What the hell was that!?”

Kagami wasn’t looking at her, however, and was instead glancing down at her phone. Either by stupidity or luck, some people had managed to get footage of the akuma in action and uploaded it. “So this one makes minions.” Kagami let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why does it have to be one of these ones?”

Michiru and Nazuna shared a horrified glance at each other before rounding back on Kagami. “You mean there’ve been more than one that’s done stuff like this!?”

“From what I can recall... this is the 14th one.” Typing something in her phone, Kagami brought up a list of akumas and their powers. “However, there were a few that had abilities similar enough.”

Nazuna narrowed her eyes a bit as she looked at the page’s header. “The... Ladyblog? Isn’t that the blog Césaire-san writes?”

Kagami nodded as she put her phone away and frowned. “As much as we disagree on certain topics, Alya’s blog does hold a wealth of useful information.”

Michiru raised an eyebrow and put a hand to her chin. “Isn’t it dangerous to have that where anyone can read it?”

“Like I said, we disagree on certain topics,” Kagami emphasized as her face fell into a scowl. “I’ve asked her plenty of times to remove my personal information from the list, and she only did after Marinette scolded her.”

Looking over the edge of the counter, Michiru scanned the rooftops she could see, and a whine came from the back of her throat. “Where the heck is Shirou!? I thought he was investigating this stuff.” She slipped back down before hugging her knees and frowning. “He’s usually here by now.”

Nazuna put a hand on her shoulder and tried to offer a smile, only for a whirring noise to come closer. “Do you hear that?”

Before any of them could ponder what it was, a small robot flew over their heads and was flying around frantically. "Oh mon Dieu, Oh mon Dieu, Oh mon Dieu!"

“What the-?” Michiru started, only for Nazuna to clap a hand over her mouth.

She wasn’t fast enough, though, and the robot turned and saw all three of them. Flying down, it gave a small tilt of its head, and the display showed a pair of worried eyes. “Excusez-moi, mais avez-vous vu Ladybug ou Chat Noir? Je dois les informer de toute urgence de l'identité de l'akuma.” Michiru and Nazuna both stared mutely. It hadn’t sounded hostile, but... yeah, they weren’t trusting anything robotic right now. The bottles under the counter were starting to look very throwable.

Kagami raised a hand at the two of them before Michiru had a chance to reach over and grab a bottle. “Let me.” The little robot turned to her, and Kagami gave it a small bow. “Je suis désolé, mais mes compagnons ne parlent que Japonais. Nous n'avons pas encore vu Ladybug ou Chat Noir.”

“Oh...” The little robot slumped before perking up instantly. “Eh bien, je devrai continuer à chercher.” It hummed to itself as it started flying higher. “Peut-être que lorsque cela sera terminé, je pourrai ajouter de nouvelles langues à mes fichiers? Oui, cela semble être une merveilleuse idée à évoquer avec Max.”

Once they were alone again, Michiru raised an eyebrow. “Um... explain?”

Smiling a bit to herself, Kagami pointed to where the little robot had flown off to. “That robot is one I have met before. His name is Markov, and he was made by one of Marinette’s classmates.” She pursed her lips for a moment as a thought crossed her mind. “It’s possible that since he’s alone, his creator may be involved with this akuma.”

Nazuna, who _had_ managed to grab a bottle from below the counter, slowly put hers down. “So... he’s cool?”

Kagami had an amused smile. “He’s an ally, yes.” The three settled down and tried to relax. “Now, let us hope he can find Ladybug and Chat Noir in time to stop this madness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to all if this chapter seems slightly smaller than the rest and has less content despite the doubled wait. The action will start picking up again in the next chapter, as two fights will be starting to get up some steam.   
> After all, _Hawkbutt can only hide from the wolves for so long._  
>  On another note, as of this chapter's posting, I just got the number 1 spot for Word Count in the BNA tag.   
> Feel the Hype, my readers.   
> Feel the Hype.


	24. Sleuthing, Sparring, and Scheming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirou finds the end of the butterfly trail, Ladybug and Chat have an initial encounter with the Akuma, and Hawk Moth gets a visitor.

On the other side of Paris, a blur moved over the rooftops. Anyone on the streets would have failed to notice him unless they were looking up. Even with his eyes closed, Shirou dodged around the chimney stacks and scowled.  _ The trail is to damn faint. If it wasn’t so unnatural, I’d have lost it by now. _ He took a deep breath and turned along the path, jumping across the street and landing with a quiet thud. Opening his eyes, Shirou locked onto the building standing before him.  _ There! _

Taller than the buildings next to it, the manor’s white walls were glaringly bright. “So this is the place.” Shirou took another breath to confirm the scent trail and frowned.  _ The scent heads straight through the third floor’s wall, but that can’t be right. _ Turning to the front of the building, he rubbed his chin in thought, taking in all the details he could. _ The front is also gated off, and the security here is relatively high. I should still be able to figure out who lives here without entering, though. _

Jumping down into an alley, Shirou shifted back into human form and walked up to the front gate. He barely spared a glance before pressing a button next to a speaker embedded into the stonework. There was a moment before a panel opened and a robotic eye protruded from the wall.  _ “Yes?” _

_ Female. A secretary perhaps? _ Shirou raised an eyebrow for a moment, before bringing it back down. “I would like to speak to the resident of the estate.”

_ “M. Agreste has no appointments with anyone. Good day,” _ was the curt reply before the eye retreated back into the wall and closed.

Turning away, Shirou’s scowl intensified slightly. “Sorry to bother you then.” As he walked away, his eyes caught sight of a few glints of light along the edge of the front door’s trim, as well as the edge of the rooftop.  _ Hidden cameras in addition to the standard cameras on the side of the building. With this much outside, it’s reasonable to assume there is an equal measure within the building. I can’t think of anyone who would reasonably need this level of security. _

_ No one, except for a supervillain. _

Pulling out his phone, Shirou started to go through his notes, adding the address of the Agreste Estate to them. “I’ll have a better chance to investigate at night. The darkness should help hide me from the regular cameras. I wouldn’t put it past a supervillain to have thermals as well around anywhere that could be easily breached.” As soon as he was far enough away, he pulled the phone to his ear and turned the corner. “Tatsu, record the address I was just at as Hawk Moth's lair.”

_ “Right away, Master Shirou,” _ Tatsu replied. _ “May I inform Madam Tsurugi that we have located him?” _

_ I’d rather have Tsurugi be enraged now while there is already an active akuma. Being forced to fight her later does not sound appealing. _ Suppressing a sigh, Shirou shifted back into wolf form and jumped up to the roofs. “Yes.”

_ “Very well, sending the information now.” _ Shirou was about to put the phone away before freezing as Tatsu spoke unprompted.  _ “If I may inquire, Master Shirou?” _

Standing there, Shirou raised an eyebrow. “What?”

_ “What do you plan to do in the meantime, now that you know where Hawk Moth is located?” _

_ Is this A.I. really advanced enough to inquire without prompt? In that case, it’s likely to inform Tsurugi of where I am regardless of my answer. _ Shirou turned his attention back to the distant glimpse of the Gardens, seeing something flying overhead. “Tell Tsurugi that I’m headed back to help with the akuma. After that, I’ll be gathering possible evidence that could lead to Agreste being Hawk Moth.”

_ “Very well.” _

Pocketing his phone, Shirou scowled as he bolted and jumped across the roofs.  _ Something doesn’t feel right. _

* * *

Ladybug peeked from behind the corner of an event tent as she heard a soft landing behind her. She did nothing to fight off the smirk on her face as she turned to see Chat behind her. “Good to see you, Chat. I was starting to get worried.”

“No need to be worried about little old me. I still got lives to spare.” He quickly knelt down next to her and took a look at the Akuma himself. “Got any intel?”

Nodding as she turned to look as well, Ladybug gestured towards the akuma’s wrist. “Akuma is in their bracers. It doubles as their weapon, so be careful.” The two paused and watched as the Akuma continued to look around for something before Ladybug hummed in thought. “I wasn’t sure earlier, but I think we have another case of twin victims with this one.”

Chat rolled his eyes a bit at that and sighed.  _ Seriously, we’ve been having a lot of those lately. _ “Any Amoks?”

“Strangely, none, though they are capable of making minions out of civilians.” Ladybug and Chat pulled back for a moment when the akuma’s attention moved towards them for a second. “I  _ was _ able to figure out what they’re wanting. Or rather, _ who _ .”

_ Of course, it’s a who. _ Chat muttered, managing to not roll his eyes. He then smirked a bit and pointed at Ladybug. “Fifty Euros says it’s Lila again.”

Ladybug gave him a deadpan stare that was ruined by her own smirk. “I’m not dumb enough to take that bet.”

Chat raised an eyebrow as his smirk shifted into a shit-eating grin. “So I’m right.”

“Yep.” The two poked their heads out again and made sure they hadn’t lost the akuma. “From the constant monologue this one does, I think that she made a fool of their intellect.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Lila.” Chat sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear, she’s worse than Chloé ever was. I want a refund.” Unfortunately, Chat was a little loud with that last joke, and the akuma quickly turned to face the two.  _ Damn it! Why couldn’t I hold that one back? _

The akuma’s eyes had been initially widened in slight surprise before their face morphed into a sneer of superiority. “So, the mighty Ladybug and Chat Noir finally arrive. Tired of cowering in the shadows, are you?”

Seeing no reason to keep hiding, Ladybug and Chat both walked out of their cover. Chat casually had his baton on his shoulders as he shrugged. “Nah, we were just brainstorming a way to hack your plans.”

The Akuma threw their head back in a barking laugh before glaring at the two. “You dare imply your intellect superior to our own!?” They quickly started to type something into their bracer. “We are Alchemax, and we will  _ show _ you how outclassed you are!” A roar ripped through the air as four robot minions flew over and landed in front of Alchemax. “Slayers! Advance and capture these pests!”

The four bots stiffly turned to face the heroes and raised their arms.  _ “Target sighted. Preparing for capture.” _ The feet of the bots all roared to life as they quickly flew forwards.

Seeing the incoming threat, Ladybug threw her yo-yo out to the side and hooked onto a nearby pole. “Move!”

Chat extended his baton and launched himself over the robots as they flew past. His eyes locked on two of the bots turning back to go for a second attack, and he readied his stance.  _ Let’s see them handle this! _ Chat swung and landed a hit on one of their displays as they flew by, making the robot crash into the ground and tumble.

The other landed and ground to a halt in front of him and shot its arm forward.  _ “Neutralizing threat.” _

Chat moved to block, only for the robot’s claw to clamp down on his baton and rip it out of his hands.  _ Shoot! _ He quickly dodged out of the way of the robot’s second claw and saw the one he knocked over pulling itself up from the ground, completely intact. “Okay, these guys are pretty tough.”

Ladybug’s yo-yo had wrapped around one of the other two bots, and she threw it into the last one. “And here I was worried we’d hurt them.” 

The robot’s flight’s rumbling only got louder as five more landed around the heroes, surrounding them. With Ladybug and Chat Noir forced back to back, Alchemax laughed and watched patiently as their minions started to close in. “I have you now!”

Chat nervously looked over his shoulder to his partner and grimaced. “Any ideas?”

Ladybug’s gaze moved past the robots closing in and landed on Alchemax’s bracer. “We have to get that bracer.” Her eyes moved down for a moment, and she noted that they were standing on one of the garden’s storm drains. “For now, though, let’s get some distance. Chat, the ground!”

Alchemax frowned as they watched Chat raise their arm into the air. “What are you-!?”

“Cataclysm!” With his freshly charged hand, Chat slammed his claws down into the drain, crumbling the concrete below them and plunging the heroes down into the dark. 

“NO!” Alchemax rushed forward to the edge of the hole and looked down. Seeing nothing, they scowled and turned towards the Slayers next to them. “Find them and kill them!”

* * *

In his lair, Hawk Moth couldn’t help but sigh a bit at his akuma getting fooled the same way he had at one time. “Worry not Alchemax, they couldn’t have gotten far.” His eyes narrowed as he let a little bit of his power fluctuate, sending a small wave of discomfort towards his subjugated pawn. “Just remember, I need their Miraculous intact.”

_ “Of course, Hawk Moth.” _

As he let the connection go quiet, Hawk Moth rubbed his head in frustration.  _ At least this one obeys orders. _

He was about to return his attention to his Akuma’s efforts when the sound of someone walking up behind him echoed in his lair. “Who’s there!”

Chuckling a bit as they walked out of the shadows, a man with broad shoulders in a well-tailored suit smiled and held his hands behind his back. “I apologize for the intrusion,” the man started with a small bow. As he stood back up, his smirk would have been enough to tell Hawk Moth he meant absolutely none of it, even without his miraculous. “However, I believe a recent development in a situation of my associates and I may intrude in your business soon.”

Hawk Moth merely scowled as a panel rose up from the floor next to him, and he pressed his hand into the controls. “If you think you can enter my sanctum so easily, you are a fool.” He pressed a series of commands in, and when all that changed was the man casually looking around with an amused smile, Hawk Moth stared in shock at the panel. “What!?”

Feigning surprise, the man tilted his head. “Oh, were you expecting something?”

_ Why are none of the defenses working!? _ Hawk Moth’s face was contorting in rage for a moment before his eyes moved back to his unwanted guest. It didn’t matter. This man may have disabled his weaponry, but he still lacked the power a miraculous granted. Hawk Moth still had the advantage. “What do you want?”

Shrugging a bit, the man took a few steps as he moved one of his hands from behind his back and started waving it idly. “As I said, a recent development has changed the power plays happening here in Paris.” He stopped his steps as he looked over the room and sent that confident smile back to Hawk Moth. “I came to both warn you and offer you a deal.”

Hawk Moth was finding this man’s unwavering state annoying.  _ Nathalie, even in her weakened health, should have no trouble disposing of this fool.  _ Scoffing, Hawk Moth raised his cane and pointed it at the man. “Whatever your offer is, you can take it with you when you leave.” He turned away and faced his window again. “I have no need for your assistance.”

The man’s smile, even without shifting at all, suddenly felt all the eviler as he looked Hawk Moth in the eye and raised an eyebrow. “Not even a way to help your wife?”

Hawk Moth’s blood ran cold for a moment until it was lit with an unholy rage.

**_“Do not toy with me.”_ ** Hawk Moth hissed through bared teeth as he turned around.

“It was just an off-” The man’s response was cut off as he found himself suddenly being slammed into the ground and a blade at his neck.

Staring down at him, Hawk Moth put more pressure into his foot, digging it further into the man’s rib cage.  **_“There is no force on Earth that can undo what has happened to her besides the Miraculous.”_ ** He leaned in close and forced the blade slightly into the man’s neck.  **_“Unless you can hand them to me here and now, leave and_ ** **never** **_return.”_ **

The man’s smile only widened as he chuckled. “Now, now. There’s no reason to get so aggressive.” Hawk Moth suddenly felt a wave of darkness wash over him. Looking down at this man’s smile told him where it came from. “Just know, I tried to warn you and offer help.” The ground beneath him started to shimmer and glow, and the man narrowed his eyes. “Have a good day,  _ Gabriel _ . I believe we’ll see more of each other in the future.” The man fell down into that light and was gone in an instant. 

The same, he noted, could be said about the heel of his right shoe.

Walking slightly unsteadily on his now uneven feet, Hawk Moth went back to the console and slammed his hand down on one of the buttons. “Nathalie.” 

_ “Yes, sir?” _

Hawk Moth growled and sheathed his blade before steadying himself with his cane. “Do you have any information regarding these new villains yet?”

There was a pause before Nathalie answered.  _ “No, sir. I haven’t found anything yet.” _

Growling under his breath, Hawk Moth’s grip on his cane tightened. “Then we have a problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25: March 5th


	25. Charms, Trinkets, and Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug comes up with a plan, Chat runs off to recharge, and Kagami shows her colors.

On the far end of the gardens, A drain cover rattled for a moment before it was pushed off to the side. Clawed hands gripped the edge of the hole, and Chat pulled himself free with a grunt. As soon as he was out, he reached back down and offered a hand, letting Ladybug climb out after him. The two caught their breath before Chat gave her a smirk. “Well, that made for a good distraction.” The beeping of his ring made both of them glance at it with a wince, “but now I’m short on time.”

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and gave Chat a determined glance. “Well, this shouldn’t take too long. Lucky Charm!” The magic swarmed up into the air before a spotted sculpture of a dragon fell into Ladybug’s hand.

_ Well, that’s familiar. _ Chat muttered in the back of his head as he gave Ladybug a smirk. “I take it we need Dragon Bug?”

“Looks like it.” Ladybug moved the statue into her yo-yo’s hammerspace before reaching in, only to pause and sigh. Pulling her hand out, she got ready to head off before glancing back to her partner. “Go ahead and find a place to recharge. I shouldn’t be too long.”

Chat nodded and gave her a salute. “Stay safe, Ladybug.”

After Ladybug vanished over the horizon, Chat ran to an abandoned stall and let his transformation drop. Holding out a camembert piece for Plagg, Adrien wasted no time as he looked around for any sign of Alchemax’s minions. With the coast clear, he rushed out and started heading back into the garden proper. “I gotta make sure Marinette’s okay.”

Plagg looked up at him worriedly from his pocket, cheese in paw. “Can’t it wait until you can suit up?”

Adrien shook his head and kept running. “Eat and run, Plagg. Just stay out of sight.”

Sighing to himself, Plagg wolfed down as much of the camembert as he could before hiding back in the pocket.  _ This kid’s going to get himself killed again. _

* * *

If there was one problem Kagami could note from drawn-out akuma attacks, it was the waiting. This fight had been going for an hour now. Yet there wasn’t any sign of Ladybug or Chat Noir after they had fled. Usually, she would have taken this time to practice keeping herself calm and level-headed.

Today, however, life had a different idea.

Michiru was lying across the ground on her side, weakly glaring at the bottles lining the shelves as her ears and tail flicked. Her sheer boredom, and subsequent privacy from being hidden, led to her shifting back into a tanuki. “How long is this going to take?”

“It shouldn’t be much longer.” Kagami sighed and risked a glance, ducking back after she saw nothing around them. “The longest a battle has gone for was maybe six hours.”

Nazuna, who had followed Michiru in shifting back into her fur, balked a bit at that. “Six  _ hours _ ?”

Kagami noted how Nazuna’s ears had folded back as she sunk down a bit more behind the booth. Raising her hand slightly, Kagami tried to ease her worries. “In our city’s heroes’ defense, that was the Hero’s Day outbreak.”

Michiru rolled a bit and laid on her back as she stared at Kagami in confusion. “Okay, you’re going to have to explain that one.”

“It was a day which Hawk Moth almost won. I’m not sure how he did it, but he managed to akumatize every single past victim at once. He had a veritable army at his fingertips.” Kagami was certain that underneath their fur, both Michiru and Nazuna had paled at the thought. She also noticed that their ears weren’t only pulled back but pressed flat to their skulls.

Nazuna pulled her knees to her chest, her imagination running wild with images of supervillains running around. “That’s... horrifying to think about.”

Kagami let herself smirk slightly and nodded. “And yet, he still lost.” She glanced up at the tent overhead and smiled. “Even with his servants, Hawk Moth fell to not only Paris’ heroes, but the civilians that stood against him that day.”

Michiru was oddly silent for a moment before she sat up with a frown. “That’s got to be a lot of pressure on those two.” 

A rumble in the air made the three of them tense up. “Shh!” Kagami peeked around the corner again, seeing a few more of the robots flying over towards them. 

More importantly, though, was the heroine who had just gotten back and pulled out a choker. Kagami’s eyes widened as she stared at the kwami that flew out a moment later. “Très bien, Longg, tu es prêt?”

Just as she was about to put on the choker, the robots landed and shook the ground.  _ “Cible d’appréhension.” _ The machine’s arms shot out, attempting to grab her, but Ladybug dodged out of the way and deflected their attempts with her yo-yo.  _ “Le sujet résiste. Désarmant.” _

Ladybug went to deflect the next strike, only for the claw to suddenly fly off to the side and whip across, knocking both her yo-yo and the choker out of her hands. “Non!”

Kagami could only watch as both of the objects flew closer. They skittered across the ground and came to a stop just by the edge of their hiding spot. Her blood froze for a moment as her eyes quickly glanced over to the fight. Ladybug was doing her best to dodge their attacks, but without her yo-yo, she was defenseless.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Kagami was holding the choker in her hand. There was a brief flash as Longg formed once again and left Michiru and Nazuna stunned. 

When the Kwami had reoriented themselves, they glanced up at Kagami and had a look of fear in their eyes. “Kagami-san! Please, Ladybug needs your help!” When Kagami tensed up, the Kwami placed her paws on Kagami’s thumb. “I know you aren’t supposed to use the miraculous again after being revealed to Hawk Moth, but we don’t have any time!”

Michiru finally found her voice a moment later as her eyes remained locked on the Kwami. “Whaaaaaa!?”

Nazuna, thankfully, was able to use actual words. “Kagami, what is that!?”

A soft smile crossed Kagami’s face as her grip on the choker grew firm. “An old friend.” Longg’s face lit up with a smile as Kagami put the Miraculous on. With a final nod, Kagami turned to the fight and smirked. “Longg, bring the storm!”

* * *

Flipping away from yet another strike, Ladybug bit back a curse as more of Alchemax’s victims came to aid in her capture. She took only a moment to look around and noted how yet again they’d managed to surround her. Only this time, she was both unarmed, and Chat was nowhere to be seen.  _ Dang it... If I could just get to my yo-yo. _

**_“Water Dragon!”_ ** Ladybug’s head snapped up as she heard the attack called out. Before she could see where it came from, water began to rush up from the drains and engulf the machines surrounding them. One by one, they began to float off the ground, trapped in watery prisons and slowly turning in place.

Turning around, Ladybug finally saw a familiar young woman in red, black, and gold spandex, sword held behind her as she kept her stance from her strike. “Ryuko!?”

Standing back up and lowering her blade. Ryuko smiled and gave Ladybug a bow. “Hello again, Ladybug-san.” Her smile became a bit strained as her free hand reached up to glance across her choker. “I apologize for using the miraculous without permission, but you looked in need of aid, and Longg was quite insistent I help.”

Ladybug looked ready to say something, but the rumble of engines in the air made her look away for a brief moment. With a sigh, she shook her head and turned back to Ryuko. “No time to ask for it back. You can help this once.”

Ryuko bowed once more, and a sadder smile crossed her face. “I understand.”

“Etto…… Nani?”

Ladybug felt like someone had a hold of a remote and kept pausing her. Yet again, she froze for a second as she saw two familiar furry faces peeking out from behind a counter.  _ Are... are you serious right now? _ Turning to give Ryuko a deadpan stare, she pointed directly at the two and had a hand on her hip. “They saw you transform, didn’t they?”

Ryuko had the decency to blush under her mask as she turned her head to the side. “We were hiding there when the miraculous fell near us, and time was of the essence.”

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug walked over to where her Yo-yo had been deflected and picked it back up. “Let’s just hope that Chat gets back soon. I need his cataclysm for this plan to work.”

“Lead the way, Ladybug.” Ryuko looked at Michiru and Nazuna before giving them a nod. “Sugu ni modotte kimasu. O genkide.” As they charged back towards the center of the gardens, Ryuko took a moment to enjoy the feeling of using a Miraculous again.  _ I won’t fail you again, Ladybug. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one's smaller than the usual chapter. Apparently, Google Drive no likey when the document gets too big, and kept crashing on me. The next one should hopefully make up for that.
> 
> Next Chapter: March 19th


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